Storyline: Low water levels on the Bulgarian section of the Danube River have been impacting the navigation capacity, attributed to reduced rainfall in the upper and middle reaches of the second longest river in Europe. According to the executive agency for the study and maintenance of the river, water levels on the Bulgarian section have been about one meter below the normal navigable level since the start of the year, impacting vessel passage. Since July 2, ferry services between Oryahovo, a port city in northwestern Bulgaria, and Bechet in Romania have been suspended. Low water level on the lower reaches of the Danube is affected by multiple factors. Countries in the middle reaches of the Danube, such as Serbia and Hungary, have experienced drought so far this year, leading to reduced inflows into the river compared to previous years. Additionally, decreased snowfall in the Alps has also had an impact. Under normal circumstances, the flow rate of the Bulgarian section of the Danube River typically ranges from 8,000 to 12,000 cubic meters per second during the flood season in spring, with peak levels reaching around 16,000 cubic meters per second. While this year, the peak flow rate was only 8,000 cubic meters per second, and the flow rate in July stands at just 2,000 cubic meters per second, said the agency. Shotlist: Ruse, Bulgaria - July 10, 2025: 1. Various of dry riverbed, ships in water 2. SOUNDBITE (Bulgarian) Ivelin Zanev, director, Executive Agency for the Study and Maintenance of the Danube River (ending with shot 3): "Another reason for the low water level this year is the warm winters we've had over the past few years, which led to less snow in the Alps. So when the snow melted in spring, there were not sufficient snow-melt runoffs as usual." 3. Various of ships moving, river bank 4. Various of water flowing, ships at bank 5. SOUNDBITE (Bulgarian) Ivelin Zanev, director, Executive Agency for the Study and Maintenance of the Danube River: "We'll first check out the riverbed. If we spot any issues that could make navigation tough, we'll use the right tech to clean the channel." 6. Various of ships parking at port. [Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland]