Alliance of Environmental Organisations, Port Industry and Regional Stakeholders Warns Against Elbe Water Transfer Scheme

A broad alliance of environmental organisations, representatives of the port industry and stakeholders from across the Elbe river basin has spoken out against the proposed transfer of water from the River Elbe to the River Spree. In a joint position paper, the signatories outline why the measure would merely shift existing problems elsewhere and propose more comprehensive alternative solutions.

The Problem Lies Elsewhere

The phase-out of coal-fired power generation by 2038 will end the inflow of pumped water from Lusatian open-cast mines, creating significant challenges for the Spree’s water supply. In response, Germany’s Federal Environment Agency (UBA) has proposed transferring 60 to 65 million cubic metres of Elbe water annually into the Spree. However, the alliance considers this approach fundamentally misguided. “The Spree does not suffer from a lack of water volume, but from a temporal and spatial distribution problem,” the paper states. According to the signatories, overall precipitation levels within the river basin are sufficient in principle; the real issue lies in inadequate water retention capacity and insufficient storage across the landscape.

The Elbe Itself Is Already Facing Water Scarcity

In recent years, the Elbe has itself increasingly suffered from low water levels. Commercial inland navigation is already frequently disrupted. Any further abstraction of water would exacerbate conditions for downstream users: shipping conditions in the Port of Hamburg would deteriorate, sediment input would increase, and valuable floodplain ecosystems such as the UNESCO Elbe River Landscape Biosphere Reserve would flood even less frequently. Industry and agriculture along the Elbe would also face growing restrictions on water use. Additional dredging requirements in the Port of Hamburg alone could result in costs running into the tens of millions of euros. “We would be taking water from one region already affected by scarcity in order to alleviate shortages in another,” the alliance warns.

Better Solutions Within the Spree Catchment Area

Instead, the signatories call for solutions to be prioritised within the Spree catchment area itself. Central to this approach is improving natural water retention capacity: soils should be managed more sustainably in order to absorb and retain more water, artificial drainage systems should be reduced, and natural landscape features that store water should be restored and strengthened. On the demand side, the alliance advocates a rethink regarding the settlement of water-intensive industries in the already water-scarce Lusatia region. It also calls for higher water charges as an incentive for greater efficiency and for alternative solutions to Berlin’s drinking water supply to be examined.

Call for an Open-Ended Assessment

The alliance is calling for a comprehensive assessment of all available options, including measures within the Spree catchment area on an equal footing, as well as a full cost-benefit analysis of all alternatives, taking into account their ecological and economic consequences for the entire Elbe region. The group argues that political decisions must not be based on a one-sided, usage-oriented study alone. Increasing water scarcity, it states, is an issue affecting the whole of Germany. The federal and state governments should therefore develop a coordinated national approach, rather than pursuing isolated measures at the expense of downstream regions.