heute journal vom 08.08.2026 Niedrigwasser, Wahlkampf Berlin, Abhängigkeit von Rechenzentren

And now [music] the today Journal with Heinz Wolf and Marietta Slomka. Good evening. In several German states, including North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate, trucks will be allowed to drive on the roads tomorrow. The Sunday driving ban has been temporarily lifted, at least in part. This is intended to support freight transport, which is severely restricted by the low water levels

. Many cargo ships are currently only able to travel the waterways with a small portion of their usual cargo. Frank Buchwald reports: "Water is becoming scarce in the Rhine. Water levels haven't been this low for a long time . Inland vessels can carry less cargo. Many industrial companies are running out of raw materials

. The Federal Minister of Transport is therefore resorting to emergency measures. We have to act now because we have to assume that this low water problem will persist throughout August, and that's why it was important to act quickly and implement a whole package of measures now. And the suspension of the driving ban on weekends and

public holidays is part of this package of measures. That's why heavy trucks are now allowed to drive again on weekends and public holidays, initially in four federal states: Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland. These are economic centers along important waterways. However, environmental associations are criticizing the decision. More trucks on the roads are not an

adequate solution to low water levels, because low water is a consequence, a warning signal of climate change, and further fueling climate change with more freight traffic on the roads is not a sustainable solution. The Green Party's Minister of Transport and the Environment for North Rhine-Westphalia, however, rejects such criticism . For example, we can't...