World’s Water Cycle Becoming Unpredictable, UN Study

October 9, 2024

The United Nations has raised the alarm about a serious crisis caused by climate change, marked by more severe floods and droughts. On October 7, 2024, a UN report revealed that the world’s rivers had their driest conditions in over 30 years, while glaciers experienced their largest mass loss in 50 years.

How Climate Change Affects the Water Cycle

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), water acts as an early warning sign for climate change, much like a “canary in the coal mine.” As temperatures rise, the water cycle becomes more unpredictable, causing both heavy rainfalls and long-lasting droughts. This irregularity endangers people’s lives, ecosystems, and economies because it affects agriculture, water supply, and natural habitats.

Extreme Weather Events

In the past year, the planet has experienced both severe droughts and frequent floods. These weather patterns are influenced by El Niño and La Niña—natural events that affect global weather, but human-caused climate change is making these events worse. A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, leading to heavier rain and floods, while higher temperatures increase evaporation, which worsens droughts.

Glacier Melting and Water Shortages

Around 3.6 billion people, almost half the global population—do not have access to enough fresh water for at least one month each year, and this number could increase to 5 billion by 2050. From September 2022 to August 2023, glaciers lost over 600 gigatonnes of water, the most in 50 years. Additionally, more than half of the world’s river basins (areas where water flows into rivers) have been drier than usual for the past three years.

Urgent Action Needed

The UN emphasizes the importance of monitoring fresh water more effectively and creating early warning systems to help protect people and wildlife from water shortages and floods. One of the most critical steps is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to address the root cause of these climate challenges. Taking these actions will help prevent future disasters and secure water supplies for the growing population.

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