ISLAMABAD: WMO’s new report highlights the dangerous imbalance in global freshwater systems, linking extreme droughts, floods, and glacier loss to worsening climate change.
The global water cycle is becoming increasingly unstable, swinging from prolonged droughts to devastating floods, according to a new assessment by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), cited by Anadolu News Agency.
The State of Global Water Resources report highlights the growing pressure on freshwater supplies and the cascading impacts of climate change on societies, economies, and ecosystems. It found that only one-third of river basins worldwide experienced “normal” conditions last year, marking the sixth consecutive year of imbalance. The Amazon Basin and southern Africa were hit by severe drought, while central and eastern Africa, Central Europe, and parts of Asia saw unusually wet conditions.
Melting Glaciers and Rising Seas
According to the WMO, glaciers worldwide lost 450 gigatons of ice in 2024, the third straight year of extensive shrinkage. This annual loss—equivalent to filling 180 million Olympic swimming pools—contributed about 1.2 millimeters to global sea level rise, threatening hundreds of millions in coastal areas.
“Water sustains our societies, powers our economies, and anchors our ecosystems. Yet the world’s water resources are under growing pressure, while extreme water-related hazards increasingly impact lives and livelihoods,” WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo stated in the report.
Deadly Floods and Widespread Droughts
The WMO report, quoted by Anadolu Agency, documents how extreme weather intensified the crisis. Africa’s tropical belt endured torrential rains that killed 2,500 people and displaced four million. Europe suffered its most widespread flooding since 2013, while Brazil simultaneously faced catastrophic floods in its south and a prolonged Amazon drought that affected nearly 60% of its territory.
“Reliable, science-based information is more important than ever before because we cannot manage what we do not measure,” Saulo warned, urging investment in monitoring and greater data sharing. “Without data, we risk flying blind.”
