By Gabriel Ameh
The United Nations has raised fresh concerns over the growing instability of the world’s water cycle, warning that freshwater reserves are declining even as droughts and floods become increasingly extreme.
The warning was contained in the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) annual State of Global Water Resources report, which found that 2025 was among the three driest years recorded for global rivers in more than three decades.
According to the report, glaciers continued to shrink across all monitored regions in 2025, while groundwater levels in several parts of the world recorded multi-year declines.
The WMO also said the Earth’s total freshwater storage has remained on a downward trend for about a decade, raising concerns over the ability of water systems to absorb future periods of drought.
WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo described groundwater and glaciers as the planet’s natural “savings account” because they provide additional water during dry seasons and periods of drought.
She warned that continued depletion means humanity is increasingly using up these reserves.
The report estimated that glaciers lost about 1,400 gigatonnes of water between 2023 and 2025—a volume roughly equivalent to filling 560 million Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Groundwater is also showing significant signs of stress. The WMO said nearly two-thirds of monitored wells worldwide recorded conditions outside their historical norms in 2025.
The changes are occurring alongside increasingly disruptive water-related events, including severe droughts and flooding in different parts of the world.
The WMO noted that global rivers were already experiencing abnormal conditions before the latest strengthening of the El Niño climate pattern.
In 2025, only about 36 per cent of monitored river basins recorded normal flows. Another 36 per cent experienced below-normal discharge, while 21 per cent recorded above-normal conditions.
El Niño, the warm phase of a recurring natural climate pattern, can influence rainfall and temperature patterns across different regions, potentially increasing drought risks in some areas while contributing to heavier rainfall and flooding elsewhere.
The WMO is calling for stronger international cooperation, improved water monitoring and wider access to reliable water data to help governments anticipate and respond to changing conditions.
Saulo stressed that water security cannot be managed solely within national borders because many rivers and water systems cross countries.
She called for shared data, shared standards and shared early-warning systems, particularly among countries that depend on the same river basins.
The agency also warned that glacier-related hazards could have consequences beyond national boundaries, making stronger regional preparedness and early-warning systems increasingly important.
The WMO’s findings underline a growing challenge for governments and communities: protecting the freshwater reserves that sustain people, agriculture, ecosystems and economies while preparing for a water cycle that is becoming increasingly unpredictable.
