A report led by The Australian National University has found that global warming is changing the way water moves around the planet, affecting entire ecosystems and billions of people.
2024 was a year of extreme weather. Simultaneous heat waves and catastrophic flooding were a theme of the past 12 months.
In November 2024, data from the European Commission’s climate monitor Copernicus Climate Change Service revealed that 2024 was “virtually certain” to be the hottest on record, with warming above 1.5°C.
A report – Global Water Monitor 2024 summary report – produced by an international team of researchers from universities in countries including Australia, Saudi Arabia, China and Germany has found that these consistently rising temperatures are wreaking havoc on the water cycle.
Albert van Dijk, professor of water science and management at The Australian National University, chair of the Global Water Monitor Consortium and report lead, said: “Water is our most critical resource, and its extremes...