Bhubaneswar: The United Nations' World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has released a report on the state of global water resources recently. According to the report, river flows worldwide hit unprecedented lows in 2023 amid record-breaking heat.

This alarming trend is putting water supplies at risk in many countries across the Globe.

The ‘State of Global Water Resources’ report has analyzed data over the last 33 years and highlighted the impact of prolonged droughts on major river basins in the world.

The Mississippi and Amazon River basins in the North and South America respectively experienced record low water levels last year, while the Ganges and Mekong river basins in Asia also faced below-average conditions.

Overall, half of the world's catchment areas showed abnormal conditions, with most experiencing deficits that reduce water availability for agriculture and industry.

The WMO has suggested urgent action to protect water reserves and increased hydrological monitoring to track and respond to changes in water cycles, which are becoming more erratic due to climate change.

The report further claimed the year 2023 saw the largest mass loss for the world's glaciers in 50 years, with a staggering 600 gigatonnes of water lost in an extreme melt year.

While this temporarily increased river flows in glacier-fed rivers in Europe and Scandinavia, experts warn that these levels will decrease significantly in the coming years as glaciers continue to disappear.

The WMO predicts more water scarcity in regions where new heat records have been reported this year. The recurring Amazon drought in 2024, which has led to the emergence of mud banks in previously navigable segments, further underscores the ongoing nature of this crisis.

As the world grapples with these unprecedented challenges to its water resources, the need for comprehensive monitoring, conservation efforts, and adaptive strategies becomes increasingly urgent.

(Note: This story is a part of Punascha Pruthibi - One Earth. Unite for it', an awareness campaign by Sambad Digital)