Overview
- The WMO's report, using observations and satellite data through the end of 2025, shows a continuous decline in terrestrial freshwater stores that once buffered droughts and floods.
- In 2025 river outflows were among the lowest in 35 years, according to the WMO's synthesis of national records, models and satellite measurements.
- Almost two thirds of monitored wells were outside their historical norms in 2025, with the overall balance shifting toward groundwater deficits.
- Global glacier mass fell by about 1,400 billion tonnes between 2023 and 2025, a loss that raises short‑term flood risk and will cut dry‑season river flows for glacier‑dependent communities over time.
- The WMO warns a strengthening El Niño in 2026 could worsen droughts in some regions and floods in others, while major data gaps in Africa and Asia limit precise risk assessments and targeted aid.