Escalating water crisis—from droughts to floods, Global Water Cycle in turmoil: WMO

The latest State of Global Water Resources report highlights the growing imbalance in river basins, widespread glacier loss, and the urgent need for better monitoring to tackle the rising threats of extreme water events and shortages worldwide

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) latest ‘State of Global Water Resources report,’ has painted a stark picture of the world’s water systems becoming increasingly unpredictable and extreme. From devastating droughts to severe flooding, the report underscores the cascading impacts of erratic water availability on societies, economies, and ecosystems. While much of the world was hot and dry in 2024—hottest year on record—with severe droughts in many regions, other regions suffered multiple devastating floods. Lake surface temperatures were anomalously high, and nearly all out of 75 main lakes across the globe saw above average water levels. Meanwhile all glaciated regions in the world reported ice loss last year, as per the WMO In 2024, only about one-third of the global river basins experienced “normal” water conditions. The rest of the river systems faced either above or below average water levels, marking the sixth consecutive year of imbalance. This erratic trend highlights the intensifying consequences of climate change, including worsening droughts and floods, and puts enormous stress on freshwater resources worldwide, it said Glaciers too faced unprecedented loss for the third consecutive year with a staggering 450 gigatonnes of ice lost globally—the equivalent of a massive block of ice measuring seven kilometers in height, width, and depth The report warns that this meltwater is contributing to rising sea levels, which exacerbate flooding risks in coastal areas, many glaciers, particularly in small-glacier regions, are nearing their “peak water point,” beyond which annual runoff will begin to decrease as the glaciers continue to shrink. The report also emphasises the severe regional disparities in water availability. Southern Africa and the Amazon Basin faced significant droughts, while parts of Central Europe, Asia, and Africa experienced wetter-than-normal conditions. The El Niño climate phenomenon played a major role in exacerbating the water imbalances, pushing river basins in northern South America, southern Africa, and parts of Asia into drought. Conversely, flooding in regions like West Africa, Central Europe, and parts of Asia caused widespread damage. “Water sustains our societies, powers our economies, and anchors our ecosystems. Yet, the world’s water resources are under growing pressure,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo. She stressed the importance of reliable, science-based information to manage water resources and mitigate these extreme water-related hazards.