Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider said at the system’s launch: “Climate change is putting our water resources under ever-greater pressure. Low water levels in rivers and groundwater, as well as parched soil, are no longer the exception. That is why we must identify water shortages earlier and take better preventive measures.” The nationwide information base is intended to help states, municipalities, and the water sector “take timely action.” At the same time, the ministry explicitly identifies the business sector as a target group for NIWIS.

A Standardized Data Foundation for Risk Management

Until now, information on low water conditions has been available primarily on a regional basis and has been compiled using a variety of methodological approaches. The new low-water information system closes this gap by consolidating water levels, discharge rates, groundwater levels, soil moisture, spring discharge, and precipitation on a daily basis and evaluating them uniformly across the country. Interactive maps, measured values, and historical comparison data enable a quick assessment of the current situation.

“With NIWIS, we are providing a nationwide information and advisory tool that offers a comprehensive overview of low-water conditions in rivers, groundwater, and soil,” explained BfG President Dirk Schwardmann. This makes it possible for the first time to “assess the effects of low water levels in a uniform, supraregional, and technically objective manner.”

For companies operating across multiple regions, this provides, for the first time, a nationwide, comparable overview of the situation. While state portals remain the most important source of information for detailed regional analyses, NIWIS supplements them with a comprehensive perspective.

Implications for Production and Supply Chains

The past few years of drought have already demonstrated the economic consequences that low water levels can have. According to the Federal Ministry for the Environment, low water levels can force ships to significantly reduce their cargo or temporarily limit navigability on waterways. At the same time, industry and power plants in certain regions have less cooling water available. The ministry also points out that companies may suffer from disrupted supply chains and that the economic damage can be substantial.

In particular, companies with water-intensive production processes or a heavy reliance on inland waterway transport therefore benefit from an assessment of hydrological trends as early as possible. A nationwide, standardized overview of the situation makes it easier to adjust transport capacities, explore alternative logistics routes, or adapt production processes in a timely manner to changing conditions.

Open Data for Your Own Applications

In addition to visualization, NIWIS also makes the data available via an open application programming interface (API). This allows companies, government agencies, and research institutions to integrate the information into their own applications or use it for further analysis. The platform was developed as part of the National Water Strategy in collaboration with the federal states and the Federal Ministry of Transport. Additional monitoring stations and parameters are to be added in the coming years.

With NIWIS, the industry now has, for the first time, a nationwide, standardized information platform that provides transparency on current low-water conditions and creates a solid foundation for decision-making in production, logistics, and risk management.

What is NIWIS?

NIWIS stands for Low Water Information Systemand is a nationwide information portal operated by the Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG). Since July 15, 2026, it has been providing up-to-date hydrological data and assessments of the low-water situation in Germany.

What does the Low Water Information System offer?

• Nationwide Unified Overview of the Low-Water Situation
• Current data on water levels, discharge rates, groundwater levels, spring discharge, and precipitation conditions
• Interactive maps and measurement data updated daily
• Historical comparisons to contextualize current low-water events
  Uniform methodological assessment across state borders
  Open data interface (API) for further processing in your own applications

Who are the target audiences for the Low Water Information System?

• Government Agencies and Water Management
• Companies and Infrastructure Operators
• Shipping and Logistics
• Academia
• The Public

What are the benefits for the industry?

Companies gain a reliable data foundation for assessing risks associated with water scarcity at an early stage—for example, for production planning, process and cooling water supply, and transportation and supply chain management.