Global river flows hit all-time lows in 2023, UN says
A new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) indicates that river flows around the globe reached historic lows last year, driven by extreme heat and prolonged droughts. This decline threatens water supplies at a time when demand is escalating, underscoring a growing climate crisis.
The State of Global Water Resources report, which analyzed 33 years of data, highlights significant decreases in river flows across large swathes of North, Central, and South America. The Mississippi and Amazon River basins reported particularly alarming low water levels in 2023. Other critical river systems, including the Ganges and Mekong , also showed below-average conditions, contributing to a concerning trend where 50% of global catchment areas are classified as abnormal, primarily in deficit.
“Water is becoming the most telling indicator of our time of climate distress, yet as a global society, we are not taking action to protect these reserves,” stated WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo during a press briefing in Geneva. She emphasized the need for enhanced hydrological monitoring as water cycles become increasingly erratic due to climate change.
The Amazon basin continues to suffer from drought, with mud banks emerging in areas that were previously navigable. WMO Director of Hydrology Stefan Uhlenbrook warned that the ongoing hot and dry conditions are likely to lead to further water scarcity in regions that have already reported record heat.
“Very likely, this hot, dry weather will continue to translate into low river flows,” Uhlenbrook noted.
In addition to low river flows, the report highlighted significant glacier loss, marking the largest decline in 50 years. Last year, glaciers around the world lost approximately 600 gigatonnes of water due to extreme melting, which temporarily increased river flows in regions like Europe and Scandinavia. However, Uhlenbrook cautioned that these benefits will be short-lived. “When the glacier is gone in a few more decades, it will be very dramatic,” he warned.
The findings call for urgent action to address the impending water crisis, as increasing temperatures and altered precipitation patterns continue to threaten global water supplies essential for agriculture, industry, and drinking needs.
