Climate crisis: 2023 driest for global rivers in 33 years, glaciers lost most mass in 50 yrs, says UN
Glaciers lost most mass in 2023 compared to past five decades, and rivers were driest in 33 years
The year 2023 was the driest for global rivers in 33 years and glaciers suffered the largest mass loss in 50 years, according to the UN weather agency in a dire warning on climate crisis.
The State of Global Water Resources report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), released on Monday (Oct 7), said climate change impacts are making the world's hydrological cycle increasingly erratic.
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It noted that below-normal river flows and reservoir inflows were widespread in the last five years, hitting the water supplies for people, farming and ecosystems.
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Water is an early warning signal for climate change, said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.
“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 said.
"Melting ice and glaciers threaten long-term water security for many millions of people. And yet we are not taking the necessary urgent action,” Saulo was quoted as saying in a WMO release.
The year 2023 was also the hottest on record, with the heat contributing to prolonged droughts along with floods.
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The WMO attributed these extreme weather patterns to the transition between two climate phenomena: the La Niña and El Niño.
Extreme heat, oddly enough, leads to heavy rainfall. “A warmer atmosphere holds more moisture which is conducive to heavy rainfall. More rapid evaporation and drying of soils worsen drought conditions,” Saulo pointed out.
Nearly 3.6 billion people have inadequate access to water at least once a year, a number projected to rise to over 5 billion by 2050, according to the WMO.
“And yet, far too little isknown about the true state of the world’s freshwater resources. We cannot manage what we do not measure," said Saulo.
The IMO chief said the report seeks to contribute to improved monitoring, data-sharing, cross-border collaboration and assessments, which she noted is urgently needed.
