UN warning: Extreme droughts and floods, signals of climate change

The intense droughts and extreme floods that are becoming more and more frequent around the globe are a "prelude" to future developments in the context of climate change, the United Nations (UN) warned in a recent report, sent by AFP. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the planet's waters last year recorded the lowest level in the last three decades. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo stressed in a statement that climate change is seriously disrupting the water cycle, making it more unpredictable. She warned of increased rainfall, floods and extreme droughts, which have devastating impacts on ecosystems, economies and human lives.

• A record year in rising temperatures and hydrological effects

The year 2023 was the hottest on record, and the lack of precipitation led to prolonged droughts, while, paradoxically, the number of floods increased significantly. Climate change caused by human activity, combined with the transition from La Niña to El Niño, has amplified these extreme events. The WMO warns that a warmer atmosphere may hold more moisture, increasing the risk of heavy rainfall. At the same time, accelerated evaporation and drying of soils intensify the drought. This leads to an increasingly critical situation where there is either too much or too little water.

• Global impact on water resources and glaciers

According to the UN, around 3.6 billion people currently have limited access to water for at least one month a year, and by 2050, this number could rise to more than 5 billion. The report shows that almost 50% of the world's watercourses had a flow below the normal level in 2022, which accentuates the crisis of water resources. Glaciers are also badly affected by global warming, losing more than 600 gigatons of water between September 2022 and August 2023, the biggest loss in 50 years. Melting glaciers pose a major threat to long-term water security for millions of people. The WMO is calling for urgent action to manage the water crisis, including improving early warning systems and data collection on water resources, to prevent an even worse crisis.