Report: In 2023, World Rivers Were Driest in Three Decades

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Facts

  • A UN body has said the year 2023 — the hottest on record as global temperatures rose 1.2°C above average (1951-1980 period) — was the driest in over 30 years for rivers.[1][2]
  • The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) report also stated that, in 2023, glaciers worldwide lost more mass than they did in at least five decades.[3]
  • Releasing the report Monday, WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said 'we receive distress signals' of climate change like extreme rain, flood, and drought.[4]
  • Calling water 'the canary in the coalmine of climate change,' Saulo said these distress signals 'wreak a heavy toll on lives, ecosystems and economies.'[5]
  • WMO said that while there's no data for 7% of the rivers, some 45% of them — especially in the Amazon basin — had below or much below normal water flow.[6]
  • WMO's hydrology chief Stefan Uhlenbrook warned of more water scarcity in areas where new heat records were set in 2024, translating to 'low river flow.'[7]

Sources: [1]Morningstaronline, [2]Guardian, [3]Yale E360, [4]Associated Press, [5]ABC News, [6]IFLScience and [7]Al Jazeera.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by CNN. The worst-ever drying up of the world's rivers in three decades in 2023 left far-reaching effects on both ecosystems and human life, including reduced availability of potable water, power generation, and agricultural output. It also caused shipping delays and raised food costs. As rivers shrink, ecosystems are thrown off balance, threatening biodiversity and livelihoods. The crisis highlights the urgent need for climate action to safeguard the planet's resources.
  • Narrative B, as provided by World Economic Forum. Climate change isn't the only cause of rivers drying up more than usual. Human intervention, such as damming, concrete riverbeds, and poor water management also disrupts natural river behavior. Rivers are naturally dynamic, shaped by a complex mix of climate, rainfall, and the environment over time. But when engineered to fit human needs, rivers become more prone to extremes like floods and droughts. We must allow rivers to function more naturally and better manage water flow.

Predictions