Rivers are drying up worldwide as climate change accelerates

Global river levels fell at unprecedented rates in 2023, threatening water supplies and increasing the risk of floods and droughts, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

In short:

• More than 50% of global river basins showed abnormal low-water conditions in 2023, following several years of decline.
• Climate change, alongside the shift from La Niña to El Niño, is making extreme water events like droughts and floods more frequent and harder to predict.
• Rising temperatures have intensified the hydrological cycle, leading to worsening droughts and unpredictable water availability.

Key quote:

"Water is the canary in the coalmine of climate change."

— Celeste Saulo, secretary general of the World Meteorological Organization

Why this matters:

Billions of people already face water shortages, and as climate change disrupts the global water cycle, more will struggle to access safe, reliable water. Floods and droughts will increase, threatening both lives and ecosystems.