Global river flows hit all-time lows in 2023, UN says

7/10/2024 19:27

        River flows around the world fell to all-time lows last year amid record heat, endangering water supplies in an era of growing demand, a U.N. weather agency report showed on Monday.
        
        Prolonged droughts cut river flows in large parts of North, Central and South America with the Mississippi and Amazon River basins reporting record low water levels in 2023, according to the State of Global Water Resources report based on data going back 33 years.
        
        The Ganges and Mekong river basins also experienced below-average conditions. Overall, 50% of global catchment areas showed abnormal conditions, with most being in deficit and reducing water availability for agriculture and industry.
        
        "Water is becoming the most telling indicator of our time of climate's distress and yet, as a global society, we are not taking action to protect these reserves," World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Secretary-General Celeste Saulo told reporters at a Geneva press briefing.