<\/p>\n
The WMO’s latest State of Global Water Resources report found that 2025 was among the driest years for global river flows in 35 years.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Below-normal flows affected 36% of the world\u2019s river basin area. It was also the seventh consecutive year in which rivers recording historically normal flows were in the minority. \u201cThis is not a single bad year, but a persistent decade-long signal,\u201d WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cWater-related extreme events continue to devastate communities and economies.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Groundwater, glaciers, snow, soil moisture and lakes provide reserves during droughts and dry seasons. Saulo described those reserves as the planet\u2019s \u201csavings account\u201d. \u201cWe are depleting that savings account,\u201d Saulo said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Terrestrial water storage has declined since around 2014-2016, while groundwater levels have fallen over several years in many regions.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Nearly two-thirds of monitored groundwater wells were outside the normal range in 2025, with more areas moving towards deficits than recovery.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
However, parts of South America recorded a partial recovery following severe water shortages over several years. Central and southern Africa also maintained substantially above-normal water levels in several major lakes.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
All 19 major glacier regions lost ice for the fourth consecutive year. \u201cAll 19 glacier regions around the globe lost ice,\u201d WMO Director of Hydrology and Cryosphere Wayne Jenkinson said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Glaciers lost about 408 gigatonnes of ice in 2025. Cumulative losses reached approximately 1 400 gigatonnes between 2023 and 2025, equivalent to about one-third of annual global freshwater withdrawals.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Some smaller glacier regions may have reached \u201cpeak water\u201d, where annual meltwater begins declining because less ice remains. \u201cThat matters for every community downstream that relies on water during hot, dry summers,\u201d Jenkinson said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
WMO Head of Cryosphere Monitoring, Predictions and Services Narelle van der Wel said further damage could still be limited. \u201cSome glacier loss is inevitable, but total loss of glaciers is not yet inevitable,\u201d Van der Wel said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Asia and Africa accounted for at least half of reported water-related extreme events over five years and more than 80% of associated deaths. However, both regions continue to face major gaps in water monitoring.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cWater respects no borders,\u201d Saulo said. \u201cThis is why we need shared data, shared standards and shared early warnings.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
–UN\/ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":44046,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"news-type":[26],"class_list":["post-45759","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-general_news","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"Abnormal water supplies are becoming the global norm as rivers, groundwater and glaciers show signs of sustained disruption, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has warned.","published_date":"","news_description":"Abnormal water supplies are becoming the global norm as rivers, groundwater and glaciers show signs of sustained disruption, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has warned.","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/45759","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/45759\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45761,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/45759\/revisions\/45761"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44046"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45759"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=45759"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}