"Sudden heavy rainfall means that the Oder regularly breaches its banks, causing flooding. Conversely, in periods of prolonged heat, water levels can fall sharply, threatening farmers, shipping and wildlife. In the summer of 2022, the river suffered its greatest ecological disaster in decades: a mass fish die-off triggered by upstream pollution. At the time, the Bartels, fishers, locals and activists on both sides of the border rolled up their sleeves and shoveled about 360 tons of dead fish and other creatures out of the water."
"Scientists later traced the disaster to a toxic bloom of golden algae that thrives in the mining sector's warm, saline discharge and is exacerbated by low water levels and high temperatures."
"Stefanie and Norbert Bartel's farm in eastern Germany is a stone's throw from the Oder River and right across from the Polish town of Porzecze on the opposite riverbank. The Oder's lush, fertile banks attract tourists, who cycle along the broad pathways and enjoy the rich birdlife. For the Bartels, whose farm doubles as a bed and breakfast, connecting people with nature is a personal mission."
A farm near the Oder River sits opposite the Polish town of Porzecze and serves as a hub for nature-minded visitors and local conservation activity. Canalization and climate change cause both flooding from heavy rains and dangerously low water levels during heatwaves, stressing agriculture, shipping and wildlife. In summer 2022 a massive fish die-off occurred, with locals removing roughly 360 tons of dead fish. Scientists linked the die-off to a golden-algae bloom fueled by warm, saline mining discharge combined with low flows and high temperatures. The crisis intensified cross-border cooperation among local initiatives in Germany, Poland and Czechia.
Read at www.dw.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]