Global river flows among driest in decades in 2025: WMO — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): Rivers around the world experienced one of their driest years in decades in 2025, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said Thursday, warning that declining water storage is raising concerns about future water supplies. According to the WMO’s State of Global Water Resources report, terrestrial water storage—including groundwater, lakes, vegetation, ice and snow—has been declining for the past decade. The United Nations weather agency warned of “serious future implications” from the trend, as these water reserves serve as a buffer during exceptionally dry years, Reuters reported. “We are depleting that savings account. Global terrestrial water storage has shown a declining trend since 2014–2016 — a persistent, decade-long signal,” WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said in a statement accompanying the report. WMO data showed that below-normal river flows were recorded in more than one-third of the world’s river basins, making 2025 one of the driest years for rivers globally in the 35 years of available data. However, some river basins, including parts of South Asia, experienced above-normal water levels, reflecting increasingly erratic and unpredictable water cycles, the report said. The report also noted widespread glacier losses across all regions in 2025 for the fourth consecutive year, warning that continued glacier loss could contribute to long-term water insecurity.