The world’s water cycle is becoming increasingly erratic, swinging between devastating floods and severe droughts, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The State of Global Water Resources 2024 reveals that only one-third of global river basins had normal conditions last year, marking the sixth consecutive year of imbalance.
The report shows that 2024 was the hottest year ever recorded, shaped by the combined forces of climate change and an El Niño event. Together, these factors intensified droughts in the Amazon Basin, northern South America, and southern Africa, while fueling heavy floods across parts of Africa, Central Europe, and Asia.
“Water sustains our societies, powers our economies and anchors our ecosystems. And yet the world’s water resources are under growing pressure,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo. She stressed that without reliable data, governments are “flying blind” in managing one of humanity’s most critical resources.
Rivers, lakes, and groundwater under stress
For the sixth year in a row, two-thirds of the world’s river catchments experienced abnormal discharge compared to the 1991–2020 average. Major rivers such as the Amazon, Paraná, Orinoco, Zambezi, and Limpopo recorded much-below-normal levels, worsening drought impacts.
Meanwhile, flooding swept through West African basins including Niger, Volta, and Lake Chad, while high river discharges swelled Europe’s Danube and Asia’s Indus, Ganges, and Godavari basins.
Global lakes also warmed at unprecedented levels. In July 2024, nearly all of the 75 largest monitored lakes recorded above-normal temperatures, threatening aquatic ecosystems and water quality.
Groundwater showed alarming trends as well. Only 38 percent of wells reported normal levels, while the rest were either too high or too low, reflecting both over-extraction and regional climate stress. Persistent deficits were recorded across Africa, the Americas, and Australia.
Glaciers continue to vanish
Glacier loss reached alarming levels for the third year in a row. In 2024 alone, the world lost 450 gigatonnes of ice, equivalent to filling 180 million Olympic-sized swimming pools. This meltwater added 1.2 millimetres to global sea levels, heightening risks for coastal communities.
Record losses occurred in Scandinavia, Svalbard, and North Asia. Tropical glaciers fared no better—Colombian glaciers shrank by 5 percent in just one year. Scientists warn that many small glaciers are now at or past their “peak water point,” after which their annual runoff will steadily decline.
Extreme events highlight urgent need for action
The hydrological extremes of 2024 came with a heavy human toll. Africa’s tropical zone saw floods that killed 2,500 people and displaced 4 million. Europe experienced its worst flooding since 2013, with a third of its rivers exceeding high thresholds. In Brazil, catastrophic flooding in the south killed 183 people even as drought persisted in the Amazon, covering nearly 60 percent of the country.
Asia and the Pacific endured record-breaking rainfall and tropical cyclones, leading to over 1,000 deaths and widespread displacement.
Water security in jeopardy
According to UN Water, 3.6 billion people already face inadequate access to water at least one month per year, a figure expected to rise above 5 billion by 2050. Progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation is falling far short.
The WMO report urges governments to prioritize water monitoring, data sharing, and investments in resilient infrastructure. “Although hand hygiene, clean water, and sanitation are recognized globally as critical, the political commitment and financing often fall short,” the authors note.
A call for stronger leadership
To avoid a worsening global water crisis, experts stress the need for sustained political will and funding. Investments must be embedded into national budgets. This includes water supply infrastructure, glacier monitoring, and climate adaptation strategies. This approach prevents reliance on emergency funding after disasters.
“Without urgent action, we face a future where billions lack access to safe water. Ecosystems collapse. Societies struggle with increasing extremes of too much or too little water,” warned Celeste Saulo.
