UN Warns of Worsening Global Water Cycle Irregularity Due to Climate Change
Summary
The United Nations has warned that climate change is making the global water cycle increasingly erratic, with harsher droughts in some regions and more flooding in others. A WMO report says rivers were among the driest in decades in 2025, while glaciers and groundwater reserves continued to decline worldwide.
Key Points
- The World Meteorological Organization says climate change is intensifying irregularity in the global water cycle, creating both water excess and scarcity.
- 2025 was one of the driest years for rivers globally in more than three decades, and glaciers lost ice for a fourth straight year.
- Groundwater levels and Earth’s freshwater storage continue to fall, raising concern over long-term water reserves.
- WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo warned that stronger El Niño conditions could increase drought and flood risks, and called for better cross-border data and early warning systems.
