Earth's rivers running dry - 4th November 2024

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is calling for urgent help after a recent study reported that the world's rivers are drying up. And they're doing so at the fastest rate in 30 years.

In 2023, the Amazon and Mississippi rivers experienced unusually low water levels. After long periods without rain, massive parts of North, Central and South America faced droughts. In Asia, the Ganges and Mekong rivers also suffered. Even China's Yangtze river has dried up in places and in 2022 China announced its first drought in nine years. In the province of Sichuan, hydropower provides four fifths of its electric supply. Factories were directly affected and some had to remain closed for six days.

Thousands of miles away, regions of New Zealand, eastern Africa and the Philippines faced extreme flooding from rivers.

Climate change is behind these huge changes, together with natural weather events like El Niño.

Celeste Saulo, Secretary General of the WMO, understands how worrying the situation is. The rivers' condition has a direct effect on lives and ecosystems. The planet is facing the massive problem of having too much or not enough fresh water.

UN-Water reports that these days 3.6 billion people are short of water for at least 30 days annually. By 2050, this number will probably reach five billion.

Most people depend on rivers in some shape or form. They're necessary for drinking water, for crops and animals, energy sources and also transportation. Saulo's calling for better monitoring of the world's rivers, to fully understand what's happening.