The state of global water resources The report published on Monday also highlights that subnormal conditions for river flows have been recorded over the past five years, with less water reaching reservoirs. The reduction in supply has reduced the amount of water available to communities, agriculture and ecosystems.
Currently, 3.6 billion people worldwide experience insufficient access to water for at least one month per year. This number is expected to increase to more than five billion by 2050, according to UN Water.
The report also shows that glaciers have suffered the largest mass loss ever recorded in the past fifty years. Every region in the world where glaciers are present reports ice loss.
The ice loss has produced more than 600 gigatons of water, much of which has ended up in the ocean and some riverways.
Meanwhile, 2023 was recorded as the hottest year on record, leading to higher temperatures and widespread dry conditions, contributing to prolonged droughts.
Unprecedented tension
“Water is the canary in the coal mine of climate change. We are receiving distress signals in the form of increasingly extreme rainfall, floods and droughts that are taking a heavy toll on lives, ecosystems and economies. WMO Secretary General Celeste Saulo.
The report also paints a grim picture of the world’s freshwater resources, highlighting unprecedented stresses exacerbated by climate change and increasing demand.
Climate change is intensifying
The report highlights a significant number of floods around the world.
The increase in extreme hydrological events has been influenced by naturally occurring climate conditions, including the transition from La Niña to El Niño weather patterns in mid-2023, as well as human-induced climate change.
“As a result of rising temperatures, the hydrological cycle has accelerated. It has also become more erratic and unpredictableand we are facing growing problems of too much or too little water,” Ms. Saulo explains.
Africa battered
Africa was the worst hit in terms of human casualties. In Libya, two dams collapsed as a result of the major flood in September 2023, killing more than 11,000 people and affecting 22 percent of the population.
Floods also affected the Greater Horn of Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as Rwanda, Mozambique and Malawi.
Meanwhile, widespread drought hit the southern United States, Central America, Argentina, Uruguay, Peru and Brazil, leading to the lowest water levels ever observed in the Amazon and Lake Titicaca on the border of Bolivia and Peru.
Monitoring and data exchange
“Far too little is known about the actual status of the world’s freshwater resources. We cannot manage what we do not measure,” said Ms. Saulo.
“This report aims to contribute to improved monitoring, data exchange, cross-border cooperation and assessments. This is urgently needed,” she added.
WMO said the report aims to improve the accessibility and availability of observational data, through better monitoring and improved data sharing, especially in the Global South.
Early warning
The report aligns with the focus of the UN’s global Early Warnings for All initiative in addressing water-related challenges.
The global effort aims to improve data quality and access for monitoring and predicting water-related hazards, with the aim of providing early warning systems for all by 2027.
The WMO has emphasized the urgent need for action to address water-related challenges, calling for improved monitoring, data sharing and transboundary cooperation to better understand and manage global water resources.
