The World Meteorological Organisation’s (WMO) State of Global Water Resources 2024 reports that the world’s water cycle is becoming increasingly erratic, swinging between dangerous floods and prolonged droughts.
The assessment shows that only about one-third of the planet’s river basins experienced “normal” conditions in 2024, marking the sixth consecutive year of significant imbalance.
Severe drought gripped the Amazon Basin, parts of South America, and southern Africa, while central, western, and eastern Africa, parts of Asia, and Central Europe endured wetter-than-normal conditions.
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The report highlights continued, widespread glacier loss for a third straight year.
Many small-glacier regions are reaching—or have already passed—the “peak water” point, where annual meltwater output has begun to decline as glaciers shrink.
WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo, emphasising the urgency of reliable, science-based data for global water management, warned that “Water sustains our societies, powers our economies, and anchors our ecosystems. Yet the world’s water resources are under growing pressure.”
Drawing on data from WMO member states, hydrological models, and satellite observations, the report calls for stronger monitoring networks and improved international data sharing.
“Without data, we risk flying blind,” Saulo said.
The stakes are high as about 3.6 billion people already face inadequate water access for at least one month each year, a figure projected to exceed 5 billion by 2050, according to UN-Water.
The findings underscore the world’s lag in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation and the pressing need for coordinated action to protect freshwater resources.