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2023 WMO Report: Driest Year for Global Rivers in 33 Years
Context:
According to the World Meteorological Organisation’s State of Global Water Resources report, released on October 7, 2024, 2023 was the driest year for global rivers in 33 years, signalling severe stress on global water supplies.
Key Findings:
- Record Low River Discharge: 2023 marked the driest year for global rivers in the past 33 years.
- Significant global water stress indicated by severe droughts and below-average river flows.
- Past five years consistently showed widespread below-average river flows and reservoir inflows.
- Drier Conditions: 2023, the hottest year on record, led to prolonged droughts and increased temperatures.
- Most rivers experienced drier-than-average to average discharge conditions compared to the historical period (1991–2020).
- Over half of global catchment areas had lower-than-average river discharge, with fewer basins showing above-average conditions.
Regional Impacts:
- North and South America: Both regions faced below- and much-below-average conditions in river discharge.
- Asia: Major river basins, including the Ganga and Brahmaputra, reported lower-than-average conditions.
- Global Trends: The transition from La Niña to El Niño played a key role in the dry conditions.
- Anomalous warming of the oceans further contributed to these conditions.
Reservoir Inflows and Storage:
- Overall Reservoir Conditions: Global reservoir inflows generally reflected below-average discharge conditions.
- India’s west coast experienced below- and much-below-average inflows; however, the Ganga basin saw above-average reservoir storage.
- Australia and the Americas: The Murray-Darling river in Australia reported below-average inflows.
- Inflows were reduced across North America, particularly in the Mackenzie River, and in South America, especially the Paraná River.
Groundwater Levels:
- Monitoring Results: Average groundwater levels were below average in 19% of monitored wells and average in 40%.
- Regions like North America, southern Europe, and central Brazil experienced lower groundwater levels.
- Positive Trends: Regions such as New England, northern Europe, and parts of India showed above-average groundwater levels.
Soil Moisture Conditions:
- Dry Soil Rankings: 2023 had predominantly below or much below average soil moisture across extensive global regions.
- North America, North Africa, and West Asia had particularly low soil moisture levels during June to August.
- Exceptions: Regions such as Alaska, northeastern Canada, and parts of India reported much-above-average soil moisture.
Future Projections:
- Water Accessibility: Currently, 3.6 billion people face inadequate water access for at least one month annually, projected to increase to over five billion by 2050.
- Call for Action: WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo emphasised the need for improved monitoring, data-sharing, and cross-border collaboration regarding freshwater resources.