Intense floods and droughts are increasing, serving as a warning of the unpredictable water cycle that climate change is causing, as per the United Nations. Last year saw the driest rivers in over 30 years, immense glacier ice loss in half a century, and a significant number of floods, according to the UN’s World Meteorological Organization in a report. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo called water the “canary in the coal mine of climate change,” with extreme rainfall, floods, and droughts being distress signals that result in heavy losses. The Earth’s atmosphere heating up has made the water cycle erratic and uncertain. Last year was the hottest on record, leading to prolonged droughts and numerous floods worldwide.
The extremes were influenced by natural climate phenomena like La Nina and El Nino, as well as human-induced climate change. Saulo explained that warmer air holds more moisture and leads to heavy rainfall, exacerbating both drought and flood conditions. These events have affected many nations, causing significant casualties and population displacement. Nearly 3.6 billion people lack adequate access to fresh water monthly, a figure expected to surpass five billion by 2050.
River catchments have been abnormally dry for the past three years, with low reservoir inflows in many regions over the past five years. Glacier melt has accelerated drastically, losing over 600 billion tonnes of water, the most significant loss observed in 50 years. Saulo emphasized the critical need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, monitor freshwater resources better, and implement early warning systems to mitigate damage to people and the environment.
Investing in water infrastructure and conservation is crucial to safeguarding against hazards. Around 70% of freshwater is consumed by agriculture, making water conservation in this sector essential. Restoring a regular water cycle will be challenging, as stabilizing the climate is a long-term endeavor. The WMO is calling for urgent action to address these water-related challenges, emphasizing the importance of measurement and management.
apo/de/gil/rjm/nl/sbk
