The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned that the climate change The human-driven, combined with the hydrological alterations linked to the phenomena of El Niño and La Niñahas led to the glaciers to experience its largest mass loss in 50 years.
Between September 2022 and August 2023, glaciers lost 600 million tons of water, particularly affecting those located in western North America and the European Alps. In Switzerland, for example, glaciers have seen a reduction in their ice volume of 10 % in just two years, reported EFE Green in an article.
"Melting and retreating glaciers threaten the long-term security of millions of people," emphasized Celeste Saulo. secretary general of the WMO during the presentation of a report that examines the situation of water resources at the global level.
This document also revealed that last year was the warmest year on record and also the driest for the planet's rivers in 33 years. According to the report, a 50% of the river basins showed anomalous conditions, most of them with lower flow rates than usual.
Large rivers such as the Mississippi and the Amazon in the Americas, as well as the Ganges, the Bramaputra and the Mekong in Asia, experienced these anomalies. In contrast, island nations such as New Zealand and Finland, as well as regions of northern Europe, reported above-average flows.
The report also highlights the duality of the climate, evidenced by the natural disasters that occurred in 2023. While Libya faced devastating floods that caused more than 11,000 deaths, regions of South America and Asia suffered severe droughts, affecting Argentina's economy by 3% of its GDP.
Saulo warned that rising temperatures cause the atmosphere to accumulate more moisture, resulting in torrential rains, while increasing the rate of evaporation and exacerbating droughts.
"The hydrological cycle has accelerated, becoming more erratic and unpredictable, which increases the problems arising from water excesses or deficits," he explained.
Since 2019, all continents have experienced mass loss in their glaciers, with 2023 marking the second consecutive year of this global trend.
The OMM launched an urgent call to improve rainfall and water resource measurements, stressing that you cannot manage what you do not quantify.
According to data from United NationsIn the last decade, approximately 3.6 billion people face water access problems at least one month a year, and this figure is expected to rise to 5 billion by mid-century if effective measures are not taken against water scarcity. climate change.
The WMO stated that water acts as a "canary in the mine" of climate change, sending warning signals through increasingly extreme weather events.
Source: EFE Green