What a dry Danube means for Europe’s energy

Europe's drought has reduced water levels on the Danube, causing headaches and lost income for companies generating electricity from hydro, coal-fired and nuclear power plants.

We travel down the river, stopping off in Austria, Hungary, Serbia and Romania to look at how each country is dealing with the challenges and what ordinary people are doing to help.

Presenter: Hannah Mullane

Producer: Gideon Long

Credit: Photo by ZOLTAN BALOGH/EPA/Shutterstock People check the Danube River as it flows at a record-low water level in downtown Budapest, Hungary, 28 July 2026)