The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Edited News , Press Conferences | UNOG , WMO
WMO Presser: Report - Looming Water Crisis needs monitoring and early warnings
Growing water-related hazards require monitoring and early warnings, highlights report by World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
The number of people suffering from water-related hazards like floods and droughts is increasing because of climate change. However, forecasting and early warnings are inadequate and global climate finance efforts insufficient, according to a report published today by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
“There has been a dramatic increase in the flooding events during the past 20 years and that increase has been of 134% and we know that because of this current 1.5 degree warming of the planet, we have more humidity in the atmosphere; we have 7% more humidity in the atmosphere because of the current warming and that is also contributing to the flooding“, said Professor Petteri Taalas, WMO’s Secretary-General, today at a press briefing at the United Nations in Geneva.
Most of the flood-related deaths and economic losses were recorded in Asia, where end-to-end warning systems for riverine floods require strengthening.
The number of droughts also increased by 29% over this same period. Most drought-related deaths occurred in Africa.
“We have also seen an increase in the amount of and duration of drought events”, stated WMO’s Secretary-General. “We have about 30% increase at the same time during the past 20 years and this has been very much affecting Africa where both observing systems and early warning services are perhaps the poorest. And the population growth in Africa is boosting this challenge”.
The report called “The State of Climate Services 2021: Water”, a collaboration between the WMO, international organizations, development agencies and scientific institutions, highlights the need for urgent action to improve cooperative water management and scale up investment on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.
It estimates that the number of people with inadequate access to water will reach more than 5 billion by 2050 versus 3.6 billion in 2018.
“According to our sister organization FAO, there has been already 2 billion inhabitants of our planet, one fourth of our planet, where people have been exposed to major water stress and there is a lack of drinking water and also a lack of water for agriculture,“ said WMO’s Secretary-General. He added that “also the water resources management is limited according to our sister organization UNEP (UN Environment Programme). We have 107 countries which are not managing their water resources in a sustainable way.”
This past year has seen extreme rainfall caused massive flooding in Japan, China, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan and Indian where millions of people were displaced, and hundred killed. In Europe catastrophic flooding led to hundreds of deaths and widespread damage.
According to Mr. Taalas, “sixty percent of WMO members don’t have a proper water sector services, and this is also one of the major challenges for us, and that is also one of the major challenges for climate adaptation. For climate adaptation, we need proper early warning services and the situation at the moment is not suitable.”
WMO’s Secretary-General has reason to believe that the negative trend in weather patterns will continue for coming decades. “Some of these features, like melting of glaciers and sea level rise, will continue for centuries because of the high concentration of carbon dioxide. We have to improve the observing systems and we have to improve the early warning services’ capability of especially least developed countries and that is the way to avoid both the casualties and economic losses related to climate change.”
-ends-
- Exterior wide shot, United Nations flag flying.
- Medium-wide shot, inside the press conference room, showing speakers, participants and photographers.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “There has been a dramatic increase in the flooding events during the past 20 years and that increase has been of 134% and we know that because of this current 1.5 degree warming of the planet, we have more humidity in the atmosphere; we have 7% more humidity in the atmosphere because of the current warming and that is also contributing to the flooding.”
- Close shot, a participant listening to the WMO Presser.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “And we have also seen an increase in the amount of and duration of drought events. We have about 30% increase at the same time during the past 20 years and this has been very much affecting Africa where both observing systems and early warning services are perhaps the poorest. And the population growth in Africa is boosting this challenge.”
- Medium shot of the speakers and of the press briefing broadcast on Zoom.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “According to our sister organization FAO, there has been already 2 billion inhabitants of our planet, one fourth of our planet where people have been exposed to major water stress and there is a lack of drinking water and also lack of water for agriculture.“
- Close shot, a participant listening to the WMO Presser.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “And also the water resources management is limited according to our sister organization UNEP, we have 107 countries which are not managing their water resources in a sustainable way.”
- Medium shot, photographers taking pictures of the press briefing broadcast on Zoom.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “Sixty percent of WMO members don’t have a proper water sector services, and this is also one of the major challenges for us, and that is also one of the major challenges for climate adaptation. For climate adaptation, we need proper early warning services and the situation at the moment is not suitable.”
- Close shot, a participant taking notes.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “Some of these features, like melting of glaciers and sea level rise, will continue for centuries because of the high concentration of carbon dioxide. We have to improve the observing systems and we have to improve the early warning services’ capability of especially least developed countries and that is the way to avoid both the casualties and economic losses related to climate change.”
- Close shot, a photographer taking pictures.
- Medium shot, cameramen filming the WMO presser.
- Close shot, the Press Conference filmed by a camera.
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN rights chief concerned by upheld convictions of Cambodian activists.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR , OHCHR
Middle East crisis puts aid, food, fuel further out of reach for millions already struggling – UN agencies
As the Middle East crisis continues the humanitarian fallout is worsening, with aid route disruptions and food and fuel price hikes wrecking the lives and rights of the most vulnerable, UN agencies warned on Friday.
1
1
2
Edited News | UNMAS
Demining experts from around the world have been sharing their collective shock at the widespread and growing threat from unexploded ordnance, the new head of the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) said on Wednesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The UN Human Rights Office in Syria conducted a 5-day visit to the northeast of the country where they received accounts of human rights violations and abuses.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF
Sudan: ‘History repeating itself’ for Darfur’s children - UNICEF
Mass atrocities in Sudan’s Darfur 20 years ago reverberated as far as Hollywood, but today, a new generation of children faces attacks, hunger and displacement in an emergency largely ignored by the outside world, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | OHCHR , UNICEF , IFRC
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) at Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Children’s Fund, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the International Labour Organization, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and the International Federation of the Red Cross.
1
1
Edited News | WHO , UNMAS
Desperate and dangerous conditions in Gaza continue to hamper recovery efforts for the wartorn enclave's people, the UN health agency said on Friday, while demining experts warned that they’ve “barely scratched the surface” in assessing the level of contamination of unexploded ordnance.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | UNICEF , WFP , FAO , WHO , IFRC , OHCHR , IOM , WMO
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the spokespersons and representatives of UNICEF, WFP, FAO, WHO, IFRC, OHCHR, IOM and WMO.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | UNMAS
UNMAS update on:
- Ridding the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Ukraine of explosive hazards and landmines
- Children and Blast Injuries Report - The devastating impact of explosive weapons on children 2020–2025
- Legacy Contamination in the Solomon Islands
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News
The continued support of UN Member States to Lebanon will be “indispensable” to boost the country’s national armed forces and provide humanitarian assistance with more than one million people still uprooted by the Middle East war, the UN's peacekeeping chief said on Wednesday.
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | UNECE
Middle East war: After oil and gas shortages, concerns grow over critical minerals crunch
The shipping crisis in the Strait of Hormuz caused by war in the Middle East has exposed a new threat: a looming shortage of strategic minerals needed to drive economies all over the world and a race by countries to obtain them.