Rhine river basin hub

At a glance

  • 185,000 km2

    area

  • 60 million

    inhabitants

  • Stretches across

    9 countries

  • 1,233 km

    Main stream length

  • 2.200 m³/s (at the D/NL border)

    Mean annual discharge

  • 825 km

    intensively used for inland navigation

  • Drinking water supply

    for 30 million people

  • Κey stakeholders in the STARS4Water project:

    International Commission for the Hydrology of the Rhine basin (CHR) International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine (ICPR ) Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine (CCNR )

Water users:

  • Changes in precipitation and evaporation, as well as snow melt and glacier melt, affect the flow of the Rhine river and its seasonal variability
  • Changes in socio-economic activities may lead to changes in water use and water consumption, and also influence the flow of the Rhine
  • Flood risk reduction by15% is one of the central goals of the ICPR following the RHINE 2040 program
  • Improving water quality with a further reduction by 30% of pollutants
  • Sediment management
  • Restorations of the floodplains and fish migration, especially the realisation of the last fish passages in the main river

Main challenges exacerbated by climate change: