The United Nations (UN) is warning of an increasing imbalance in the global water balance with catastrophic consequences. As floods and droughts increased, more and more people suffered from water scarcity, according to a current report by the World Weather Organization WMO. The problem is exacerbated by population growth and dwindling resources. The report lists concrete figures on changes in the climate. Since the turn of the millennium, flood disasters have increased by 134 percent compared to the two previous decades. At the same time, the water supplies on the earth’s land mass decreased: Over the same period of time, the number and duration of droughts rose by 29 percent.
The report goes on to say: Currently, two billion people live in countries without a secure drinking water supply. It is expected that by 2050 more than five billion people will not have adequate access to drinking water. 107 countries will in all probability miss the development goal of sustainable water management by 2030.
The world must wake up, says the WMO General Secretary
According to the report, mankind is not adequately prepared for such scenarios. Systems for water management, monitoring, forecasting and disaster warnings are uncoordinated and inadequate, measures against climate change remain underfunded. The world must wake up and become aware of the impending water crisis, said WMO General Secretary Petteri Taalas.
In order to meet the challenges, climate services for water and extensive early warning systems are necessary. A large part of the national meteorological and hydrological services, however, do not have the necessary capacities; there are also deficits in the sharing of information, it said in the report “State of Climate Services: Water”, in which 22 international organizations participated.
The effects of this development on people are already evident, the report continues. Rainfall patterns and agricultural cultivation times have changed around the world, with corresponding effects on food security. Extreme weather conditions and massive flooding in recent months have resulted in millions of displaced persons and hundreds of deaths in Asia and also cost numerous lives in Europe.