Global Water Resources Face Unprecedented Disruptions Amid Climate Extremes: WMO

Unpredictable river flows and rainfall due to hot year was amplified by climate change in 2024, according to the World Meteorological Organization’s fourth annual report on water resources. Almost two-thirds of global river basins had water levels either above or below normal values—the sixth consecutive year of imbalance.

Confirming the findings, Stefan Uhlenbrook, the WMO’s director of hydrology and an author of the report told Bloomberg that the water cycle is increasingly difficult to predict. He further added that the pattern has become more erratic.

According to the WMO report, the global temperatures in 2024 had reached 1.55 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average, which is the hottest in 175 years. As well as raising air temperatures, climate change amplifies heavy rainfall and tropical storms, and causes glaciers to melt. That in turn increases the risk and intensity of floods.

In the first part of the year, the influence of the natural weather phenomenon El Niño also contributed to droughts and high temperatures in some regions. Unreliable water resources threaten food supplies, and can also feed conflict and lead to increased migration.

Urgent Water Management Needed

Recounting the worst-hit regions in 2024, the WMO report stated that the Amazon basin was hit by a severe drought during the spring and summer, as well as west and central Africa, where flooding killed 2,500 people and displaced four million.

Meanwhile, floods affected the biggest area in 12 years in Europe, leaving hundreds of people dead and damaging buildings and infrastructure. The report also outlined the accelerated rate of melting of glaciers. In 2024, all regions lost ice for a third consecutive year.

“The world’s water resources are under growing pressure and – at the same time – more extreme water-related hazards are having an increasing impact on lives and livelihoods,” WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo stated in the report.

The WMO report also underscored the need to improve water resource management by improving monitor systems, data sharing and increasing investments in infrastructure to mitigate the impacts of climate-induced water extremes. These measures are crucial for building resilience against future water-related challenges.

The 2024 water crisis demand the urgent need for comprehensive water resource management strategies to deal with challenges induced due to climate change.