In a stark warning on October 12, the United Nations' World Meteorological Organization (WMO) declared that the planet's hydrological cycle is teetering on the brink of imbalance, primarily due to the effects of climate change. The organization urgently called for a fundamental shift in policies to enhance the monitoring of the world's water resources.
WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas conveyed deep concerns about the state of the global water cycle as he released the "State of Global Water Resources" report for 2022.
"We are seeing much heavier precipitation episodes and flooding. And at the opposite extreme, more evaporation, dry soils, and more intense droughts," he stated.
The report illuminated the alarming trends observed in water resources worldwide. It revealed that over 50% of global catchment areas are currently experiencing deviations from normal river discharge conditions, with the majority of these regions facing drier than usual conditions. One notable example was provided by the Yangtze River in China, which has been grappling with reduced water levels.
Conversely, the report highlighted devastating floods in Pakistan that claimed the lives of more than 1,700 people in the past year. These catastrophic events underline the extreme and often unpredictable fluctuations in water availability in different parts of the world.
The WMO report underscores the urgent need for more comprehensive monitoring and assessment of global water resources.
"Far too little is known about the true state of the world's freshwater resources. We cannot manage what we do not measure," in a statement, the organization emphasized.
This call to action serves as a plea for governments and environmental agencies to allocate resources and expertise to better understand and safeguard the planet's water resources.
The "State of Global Water Resources" report is only the second of its kind released by the WMO, and it offers a comprehensive analysis of data collected from large river basins. The data includes information on river discharge, groundwater levels, evaporation rates, soil moisture, and reservoir inflow, providing valuable insights into the current state of the planet's water cycle.
As the world grapples with the ever-increasing impacts of climate change, it becomes evident that the stability of the hydrological cycle is a critical component of global environmental health. The WMO's call for a fundamental policy shift towards better monitoring is a resounding reminder of the need for proactive measures to address the challenges posed by climate change and to ensure the sustainable management of the world's most vital resource - water.
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