Five billion face inadequate water access due to severe climate change

Nearly 20 million people in Iraq, Syria and Iran faced hardship from drought, UN report says

A bridge spans the Tigris river, which is drying up due to climate change, near the Makhoul dam in northern Iraq. AFP

More than five billion people are expected to face a shortage of access to water at least once a month each year by 2050 as a result of extremes such as flooding and drought, the UN said on Tuesday.

Climate change is reducing river levels and melting glaciers as global temperatures are more than 1.1°C higher than in pre-industrial times, according to a report by the UN's World Meteorological Organsiation (WMO).

Large areas around the world have been drier than usual last year, when precipitation patterns were influenced by climate change, the report said.

The report, named The State of Global Water Resources for 2021, is the first comprehensive review of water resources by the WMO.

It will be published on an annual basis starting from this year due to calls for more accurate data in a time of increasing demand and limited supplies, WMO said.

"Currently, 3.6 billion people face inadequate access to water at least a month per year and this is expected to increase to more than five billion by 2050," said the report.

From 2001 to 2018, 74 per cent of all natural disasters were water-related, according to UN studies.

Last year, all regions suffered devastating water extremes, the report said.

Record-breaking floods in western Europe and the Amazon were reported, while water levels in rivers in Paraguay and southern Brazil dropped to an all-time low.

Major river basins in the Americas and central Africa saw water volumes shrink. Rivers in northern India and southern Africa saw above average increases.

Flooding around the world in 2022 - in pictures

Vehicles negotiate floodwater from the Bundaburrah Creek in New South Wales, Australia, on October 11, 2022. Rains have eased but New South Wales is still on high alert with another rain onslaught set to hit the state which has already seen repeated flood events. EPA

A villager sits on the roof of a flooded home in Lhokseumawe, in Indonesia's Aceh province, on October 10, 2022. AFP

A man carries an empty water tank through a flooded area after the impact of tropical storm Julia, in Progreso, Honduras, on October 9, 2022. Reuters

Residents walk through the debris left by flooding caused by a river that overflowed in Las Tejerias, Venezuela, on October 9, 2022. AP Photo

A man is reunited with his dog, rescued by neighbours from the mud, after flooding in Las Tejerias, Venezuela, on October 9, 2022. AP Photo

A woman grieves following a boat accident in Anambra, Nigeria, on October 7, 2022. Seventy-six people are missing after the boat capsized in a flooded community in Nigeria's south-east Anambra state, emergency officials said. AP

People stranded following several days of downpours in Kogi Nigeria, on October 6, 2022. Thousands remained stranded after major connecting roads to other parts of the West African nation were submerged in floods, locals and authorities said. AP Photo

A resident carries a water container and money while wading through flood water caused by typhoon Noru in Bulacan province, north of Manila, Philippines, on September 26, 2022. EPA

A man sets up camps for people displaced from flooded areas, on the outskirts of Karachi in Pakistan, on September 24, 2022. According to disaster management authorities, flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains have killed more than 1,200 people across Pakistan since June 2022. EPA

People take shelter inside a school in the aftermath of floods in Karachi, Pakistan, on September 21, 2022. EPA

People stand next to an eroded section on the banks of river Padma in Bangladesh on September 18, 2022. AFP

People affected by floods move to higher ground in Bajara Sehwan, Pakistan, on September 9, 2022. EPA

A high wave caused by Typhoon Hinnamnor in Pohang, South Korea, on September 6, 2022. Reuters

Firefighters and military officials rescue one of the missing residents from the underground parking lot of an apartment building which was submerged in heavy rain caused by Typhoon Hinnamno, in Pohang, South Korea, on September 7, 2022. EPA

A flooded area following overnight heavy rainfall in Bangalore, India, on September 5, 2022. EPA

People pull a car on a flooded road following torrential rains in Bengaluru, India, on September 5, 2022. Reuters

Heavy floods hit in the village of Slatina in Bulgaria on September 5, 2022. Rain caused floods in half of Bulgaria - both in the south and in the north. EPA

Aerial view of makeshift tents for people displaced due to flooding after heavy monsoon rains in Balochistan province in Pakistan, on September 4, 2022. AFP

People cross the water during a flood in Al-Managil, Sudan, on August 23, 2022. Reuters

Flood water in the village of Makaylab in Sudan's River Nile state, on August 23, 2022. Sudan declared a state of emergency due to floods in six states, including River Nile. AFP

Residents clean a street covered with mud following floods in Oe city, in north-eastern Japan, on August 4, 2022. Large areas of north-eastern and central Japan were hit by torrential rainfall, and more than 100,000 residents were asked to evacuate. EPA

A dining room inside a residence at the site of a flash flood in the Iranian village of Zayegan, north of Tehran, on August 2, 2022. EPA

Flooded streets of Kalba, in the UAE. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Flooding in Fujairah city. Antonie Robertson/The National

Flooding in Fujairah city. Antonie Robertson/The National

View of damage after flooding in Niardo, Italy, on July 28, 2022. EPA

Homes submerged under flood waters from the North Fork of the Kentucky River in Jackson, Kentucky, on July 28, 2022. AFP

Rescuers work following a flood in Imamzadeh Davoud village in the north of Tehran, on July 28, 2022. Reuters

Rescuers work in Imamzadeh Davoud village in Iran on July 28, 2022. Reuters

A house that was shifted off its foundation following a flash flood rests on top of a vehicle, on July 14, 2022, in Whitewood, Virginia. AP Photo

Volunteers in an inflatable rescue boat in Camden, in Sydney, Australia, on March 8, 2022. EPA

An aerial view of flooded streets in Arbil, the capital of Iraq's northern Kurdish autonomous region, after flash floods on January 13, 2022. AFP

The report highlighted that inconsistent measurements and a lack of data collected on the ground made it hard to understand some of the effects that climate change was having on water systems.

At Cop27, the recent UN climate change conference held in Egypt, governments were urged to further integrate water into adaptation efforts.

The WMO secretary, Prof Petteri Taalas, said climate change effects were usually felt through water in the form of more intense and frequent droughts, flooding, erratic seasonal rainfall and melting glaciers.

"With cascading effects on economies, ecosystems and all aspects of our daily lives, there is insufficient understanding of changes in the distribution, quantity and quality of freshwater resources," he said.

Extreme drought was experienced in 2020 in Iran, Iraq and Syria, followed by a warm winter that continued into last year.

Up to 12 million people in Iraq and Syria and 4.8 million in Iran were affected by the droughts. Protests directly resulted in deadly clashes in the Khuzestan province.

Drought in the Horn of Africa has led to a devastating food crisis affecting 18 million people. Not even intense rainfall between December 2020 to February 2021, typically the dry season in the region, helped alleviate the situation.

On the other hand, the report said about 1.9 billion people lived in areas where drinking water was supplied by glaciers and snow melt but these glaciers are melting increasingly fast.

The report said governments must increase their actions in introducing of early warning systems for floods and droughts to help reduce the effects of water extremes.