By Abdullahi Lukman
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has warned that disruptions to freshwater resources are becoming more widespread, with declining river flows, groundwater levels and glacier reserves pointing to increasing water shortages and abnormal supply patterns worldwide.
In its latest assessment of global water resources, the WMO said 2025 was among the driest years for river flows in the past 35 years, with below-normal discharge recorded across 36 per cent of the world’s river basin area.
WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said terrestrial water storage had been declining since 2014, while groundwater levels had fallen in many regions over several years.
Nearly two-thirds of monitored groundwater wells were outside their normal range in 2025, indicating a shift towards water deficits rather than recovery.
The organisation also reported that every major glacier region in the world experienced ice loss for the fourth consecutive year, increasing risks to communities and economies that depend on freshwater supplies.
Wayne Jenkinson, WMO Director of Hydrology and Cryosphere, said some regions, including Central Europe, western Canada and parts of the United States, had already reached peak water availability.
Saulo described groundwater, glaciers, snow and other freshwater stored on land as the Earth’s “savings account”, saying these reserves provide a buffer during hot seasons and droughts but are increasingly being depleted.
Narelle van der Wel, WMO Head of Cryosphere Monitoring, Predictions and Services, said further glacier loss was inevitable but the extent of future losses could still be influenced by efforts to reduce emissions.
The WMO stressed, however, that water scarcity was not driven by climate change alone. It identified natural variability and growing demand from industries, including artificial intelligence and data
centres, as additional pressures on water resources.
The organisation urged governments to prepare for further changes in water availability through improved monitoring, data sharing and coordinated early-warning systems.
The warning comes amid a series of severe water-related events. The WMO also referenced recent deadly flash floods in Nepal linked to a glacier collapse and landslide near the country’s border with China.
Growing water stress has also raised concerns about conflict, with previous research linking natural-resource depletion and water insecurity to tensions between countries. Meanwhile, contamination of drinking water by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as “forever chemicals”, remains another water-related threat facing communities.
