World Meteorological Organization warns of water scarcity and powerful El Niño

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has released its State of Global Water Resources 2025 report, highlighting a significant decline in Earth’s freshwater storage and a continuation of glacier retreat. The report notes that 2025 was one of the driest years for global rivers in over three decades, with the water cycle becoming increasingly erratic. Over the last five years, Asia and Africa have accounted for at least half of all water-related extreme events and more than 80 per cent of associated deaths.

Additionally, the WMO has issued a major climate warning regarding an exceptionally powerful El Niño event forecasted between October 2026 and February 2027. This event, which may rank among the strongest recorded since 1950, is expected to cause record-breaking warming in the tropical Pacific. The phenomenon is predicted to trigger floods, droughts, and heatwaves across several regions, including Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Peru, Ecuador, Indonesia, Australia, and India, posing significant risks to regional transport and tourism sectors.