WMO (World Meteorological Organization) has released its first annual State of Global Water Resources Report 2021.
The aim of this annual report is to support the monitoring and management of global freshwater resources in an era of growing demand and limited supplies.
– Streamflow: The volume of water flowing through a river channel at any given time. – Terrestrial Water Storage (TWS): All water on the land surface and in the sub-surface. – The cryosphere (frozen water).
– The report shows how large areas of the globe recorded drier-than-normal conditions in 2021. – A 2021 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. – Major flood events occurred in China, north India, western Europe and countries affected by Tropical cyclones like Mozambique, the Philippines and Indonesia.
– The areas having below-average streamflow are South America’s Rio de la Plata area, South and South-East Amazon, and River basins like the Colorado, Missouri and Mississippi in North America. – In 2021, rivers in Africa like Niger, Volta, Nile and Congo experienced less than normal discharge.