Chapter 10 - The Rhine River basin

Abstract

The Rhine is a 1233km-long pivotal river in Central Europe. Its catchment harbors about 60 million inhabitants in nine countries from the Alps to the North Sea. On most of its course, this heavily modified water body is managed in favor of industrial production, urbanization, and transport. The 1816 commission on navigability was the first European institution. In the channelized and dammed Upper Rhine and in the Lower and Delta Rhine, several restoration actions combined with flood protection are underway. Being one of the most polluted water bodies in Europe after WWII, the river showed a remarkable water quality improvement in the past decades, due to efficient international collaboration. Several migratory fish species returned. Water plants established indicating reoligotrophication. However, its recent connectivity to the Ponto-Caspian area and sea harbors, homogenization of the main channel habitats, loss of natural flow regime, and strong water temperature increase make the Rhine a roundabout for invasive species.