Availability of fresh water in a changing climate
Source: Middle East Insurance Review | Jan 2023
Currently 3.6bn people face inadequate access to water for at least a month per year and this is expected to increase to more than 5bn by 2050, according to the first edition of the State of Global Water Resources 2021 report.
Published by The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) the 36-page report said 74% of all natural disasters between 2001 and 2018 were water-related. The report assessed the effects of climate, environmental and societal change on the Earth’s water resources.
This annual stocktake of the planet’s water resources will support monitoring and management of global freshwater resources in an era of growing demand and limited supplies.
Released in November 2022 the report gave an overview of river flow, as well as major floods and droughts and provides insights into hotspots for changes in freshwater storage and highlights the crucial role and vulnerability of the cryosphere (snow and ice).
The report also revealed how large areas of the globe recorded drier than normal conditions in 2021 – a year in which precipitation patterns were influenced by climate change and a La Niña event. The area with below-average streamflow was approximately two times larger than the above-average area, in comparison to the 30-year hydrological average. M