Rivers around the world are running unusually dry as freshwater reserves continue to decline, leaving less water stored away to help countries through drought, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has warned. Glaciers and groundwater are also shrinking, while in Switzerland the retreat of Alpine ice is already forcing changes to infrastructure that supplies hydroelectric power.
River flows in 2025 were among the driest recorded worldwide in more than 30 years, the WMO found in its annual State of Global Water Resources report, published on Thursday.
