OMM Redaksiyası
Global rivers experienced one of the driest periods of recent decades in 2025, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said.
According to the WMO’s State of Global Water Resources report, river flows fell below normal in more than one-third of the world’s basins during the year. Based on 35 years of observations, this made 2025 one of the driest years recorded for global rivers.
The report said surface water reserves, including groundwater, lakes, vegetation, ice and snow cover, had been declining for about a decade. The UN agency noted that these reserves serve as an important buffer, particularly during dry periods.
“We are depleting that savings account. Global terrestrial water storage has shown a sustained, decade-scale decline since 2014-2016,” WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said.
Although river flows fell unusually low in many regions, the opposite situation was observed in some basins. Water levels rose excessively in parts of South Asia. The WMO said this pattern showed that the global water cycle was becoming increasingly unstable and difficult to predict.
Drought in some regions and excessive rainfall in others are placing additional pressure on water management systems and making future water supplies more difficult to forecast.
The report also said glaciers across all regions experienced widespread losses in 2025. This marked the fourth consecutive year of significant decline.
The WMO warned that continued glacier melt could lead to long-term water shortages in regions that depend on seasonal meltwater for drinking water, agriculture and energy production.
The WMO’s global water resources reports assess river flows, groundwater, glaciers, lakes and other components of the water cycle. Such monitoring supports preparedness for droughts, floods and other water-related risks.
