In 2023, the UN weather agency reported it was the driest year for rivers globally in over 30 years, linked to climate change and record temperatures. This has resulted in reduced water flows and severe droughts affecting over 3.6 billion people. The WMO calls for improved data collection to respond effectively to these challenges.
In 2023, the United Nations weather agency released a report indicating that it was the driest year for the world’s rivers in over thirty years. This unprecedented dryness, linked to record-high temperatures, has resulted in diminished water flows and extended drought conditions in numerous regions across the globe. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo remarked, “Water is the canary in the coalmine of climate change. We receive distress signals in the form of increasingly extreme rainfall, floods and droughts which wreak a heavy toll on lives, ecosystems and economies.” She noted that rising temperatures have caused the hydrological cycle to become increasingly unpredictable, leading to the potential for both severe droughts and floods. The report titled “State of Global Water Resources 2023” encompasses a comprehensive analysis of water systems encompassing rivers, lakes, reservoirs, groundwater, soil moisture, and more. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) highlighted a staggering statistic that approximately 3.6 billion individuals currently lack reliable access to water for at least one month per year, with projections estimating this number could rise to 5 billion by the year 2050. Importantly, WMO reported that 70% of water extracted from these systems is utilized for agricultural purposes. The year 2023 marked a historic high in global temperatures, and it was noted that the summer of this year was the hottest on record, raising concerns for the possibility of setting new temperature extremes in 2024. Stefan Uhlenbrook, director of hydrology at WMO, stated, “In the (last) 33 years of data, we had never such a large area around the world which was under such dry conditions.” Regions heavily impacted by drought included parts of the southern United States, Central America, and South America, specifically Argentina, Brazil, Peru, and Uruguay, which have experienced the lowest recorded water levels in both the Amazon River and Lake Titicaca. Additionally, the Mississippi River basin also recorded critically low water levels. The WMO indicated that half of the world encountered dry river flow conditions in the past year. While data for 2024 remains incomplete, Uhlenbrook expressed concerns that the extreme temperatures this past summer are likely to contribute to continued low river flows, predicting increased water scarcity in many regions. The implications of these low-water conditions have been significant, affecting navigation on rivers in Brazil and contributing to a food crisis in Zimbabwe and other southern African nations. In light of these challenges, the WMO has underscored the necessity for enhancing data collection and sharing to better understand water resource dynamics and enable proactive measures on behalf of nations and communities.
The recent report from the United Nations weather agency sheds light on the alarming state of global water resources, particularly rivers, which are experiencing unprecedented drought conditions. This deterioration of water resources is closely tied to the extreme temperatures being observed worldwide. The implications of these changes affect not only water navigation and agriculture but also broader ecosystems and human livelihoods.
The findings from the WMO report present a concerning scenario regarding global water resources, illustrating a trend of increasing dryness in rivers and significant risks related to climate change. With projections indicating a future rise in the number of individuals lacking adequate water access, it is imperative that nations, communities, and organizations take urgent action to address this crisis. Enhanced data collection and collaborative strategies for water resource management will be critical in seeking solutions to mitigate the impacts of these ongoing challenges.
Original Source: www.washingtonpost.com
