Inland Waterways Under Pressure: Record-low Rhine levels are already disrupting German industry, with chemical producers, utilities, steelmakers and traders reporting bottlenecks, higher costs and smaller barge loads; Kaub near Koblenz fell to single-digit centimetres on the gauge, pushing more freight onto rail and trucks and forcing terminals to act as logistics hubs. Heat & Fire Response: Belgium’s High Fens wildfire has become the country’s biggest on record, burning thousands of hectares and triggering evacuations; the EU deployed helicopters and water bombers, with firefighters from Belgium plus support from Germany and Luxembourg. Arctic Shipping Expansion: A Chinese container vessel is starting a new weekly Northern Sea Route service to Europe, cutting transit times and bypassing the Red Sea, but raising concerns about faster Arctic ice melt. Aviation Connectivity: Sundair has resumed the Berlin–Damascus direct route after nearly 14 years, and Syria also plans Cologne–Deir ez-Zor flights from Sept. 1, following a July 16 transport agreement. Supply Chain Resilience: AD Ports says it mitigated Strait of Hormuz disruption by rerouting via UAE east-coast corridors, adding trucks and boosting rail frequency, plus using chartered air cargo for food and medicines. Drought Watch: Satellite-based reporting shows Europe’s major rivers shrinking further, intensifying the debate over how to manage drought impacts on transport and water-dependent power.