US EditionThe system that moves water around the planet is increasingly ‘erratic and extreme,’ new report finds | News Channel 3-12
- On Thursday, the World Meteorological Organization published its 2024 assessment of worldwide freshwater conditions, emphasizing a growing instability in the global water cycle.
- The report explained that climate change driven by fossil fuel emissions caused six consecutive years of imbalance in river basins, with two thirds facing too much or too little water.
- In 2024, glaciers continued to retreat for the third consecutive year, shedding a total of 450 gigatons of ice; meanwhile, the quality of water in crucial lakes deteriorated, and widespread flooding resulted in billions of dollars in damages around the world.
- WMO secretary-general Celeste Saulo emphasized that water is essential for maintaining communities, driving economic activity, and supporting natural environments, while lead author Stefan Uhlenbrook highlighted the importance of investing in monitoring systems as a crucial priority.
- The report warned that worsening water extremes threaten livelihoods and increase conflicts, urging governments to boost investment in water management to prepare for unpredictable cycles.
52 Articles
52 Articles
Global water cycle increasingly erratic, warns WMO report
Residents stand at the entrance of a house on a flooded road, due to the monsoon rains and rising water level of the Sutlej River, in Hakuwala in Kasur district of Punjab, August 24, 2025. — ReutersThe World Meteorological Organisation has warned that the global water cycle is becoming...
On Thursday, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), an institution of the United Nations, alarmed itself to see a water cycle "more and more disturbed and extreme". Its recent report describes the repercussions of an excess or a shortage of water in the various regions of the world. In 2024, the warmest year in history, conditions were normal only in one third of the world's river basins. - The water cycle "more and more disturbed and extr…
A report from the World Meteorological Organization warns that only one third of the planet's watersheds were normal last year
There are many implications for infrastructure, agriculture, energy, health and economic activity.
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