The construction of migration waterway and the construction of ports, railway lines and roads made the Rhine Valley since the second half of the 19th century to the traffic axis it is today. From large commercial diversity with the textile industry as a pioneer stuck out two key industries along the Rhine: the heavy industry and the chemical industry. The latter often developed from dye-works, the supplier to the textile industry were. These farms which mixtures came through purification and separation to higher value products processing (refineries). For important location factor of the Rhine was mainly for the chemical industry, because it transporting raw materials and products, provide cooling and domestic hot water and could dispose of wastewater. Among the major international river basins has the Rhine catchment area, therefore with the highest industrial density in the world.
In the Rhine catchment generate Europe's most important industrial and chemical companies annually about 550 billion euros. In addition to the industry, the service sector has developed considerably in recent decades.
For a long time the high loads of waters caused by discharges of pollutants and nutrients from industrial waste is a problem. They could be successfully reduced since the late 1970s, so that the water quality of the Rhine and many of its tributaries has improved significantly despite the very high density of industry. The industrial discharges were even more reduced in relation to the inputs from agriculture. This is mainly due to the exemplary cooperation of all States in the implementation of the Rhine Action Programme due ICPR.
Of 1988 the competent ministers Rhine established among other measures for storing hazardous materials and construction of fire water retention basins, in particular the prevention of accidents and plant safety advance in the Rhine catchment.
Accidents in industrial plants can be far-reaching cross-border effects in the Rhine - in particular to limit its use for the production of drinking water cause and damage to the living things in the Rhine - or hot water. Since the implementation of the recommendations for hazard prevention and plant safety no cross-border incidents in their effect more have occurred. An analysis of the messages within the Warning and Alarm Plan shows the number of messages caused by the industry on the Rhine has now significantly reduced.