Anger in Germany over Rhine firework display taking place despite drought

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Organisers of the “Rhine in Flames” firework displays have come under heavy criticism for staging the event during this summer’s drought, as water levels in the river continue to drop.

The annual event has become a flashpoint, with climate campaigners and others furious about the fire risk and waste of precious water as the Rhine risks becoming unnavigable.

While local residents have been urged to save water, the fire brigade in Koblenz on the Rhine hosed down slopes in preparation for a major fireworks display, which was staged last weekend against the backdrop of Michael Jackson’s Earth Song.

Rhine in Flames (Rhein in Flammen in German) is a series of firework displays along the Rhine held at various locations between May and September. Two more firework displays are due to be held in September in Oberwesel and St Goar/St Goarshausen.

Kathrin Henneberger, a Green MP in Germany’s Bundestag, the national parliament, tweeted: “Well, that’s very symbolic of everything that’s going wrong right now. Instead of simply cancelling the fireworks and saving the water … the slope is simply watered and the banging continues as if nothing had happened.”

The long heatwave and drought this summer have caused forest fires across Germany, including in the well-to-do Grunewald district of Berlin. One Twitter user said: “Watering slopes to hold the Rhine in Flames fireworks at a river that is drying out, while forests go up in flames, is a sign that we are not taking the climate catastrophe seriously enough.” Many other Twitter users echoed those comments.

In a statement, the organisers, Rheinland-Pfalz Tourismus GmbH, hailed last weekend’s event between Spay and Koblenz, called “A Summer Dream”, a success “despite the low water levels in the Rhine”. It was staged using 30 ships and attracted 100,000 visitors.

Meanwhile, Germany’s main industry lobby group warned on Tuesday that factories may have to slash production or halt it completely because plunging water levels on the Rhine are making it harder to transport cargo.

The Rhine’s level at Emmerich, near the Dutch border, dropped by a further 4cm in 24 hours, hitting zero on the depth gauge. Authorities said the shipping lane itself still has a depth of almost 200cm.

“The ongoing drought and the low water levels threaten the supply security of industry,” said Holger L?sch, deputy head of the BDI business lobby group.

“It’s only a question of time before facilities in the chemical and steel industry have to be switched off, petroleum and construction materials won’t reach their destination, and high-capacity and heavy-goods transports can’t be carried out any more,” he said.