
Climate Crisis Disrupting the Global Water Cycle with Devastating Impacts
The climate crisis is profoundly disrupting the planet’s water cycle, leading to devastating floods and severe droughts that have affected billions of people, according to a new report.
The 2024 Global Water Monitor Report reveals that the hottest year on record resulted in at least 8,700 deaths, the displacement of 40 million people, and economic losses exceeding $550 billion (£445 billion).
Global heating, driven by the continued burning of fossil fuels, is altering how water moves around the Earth. Warmer air holds more water vapour, leading to intense downpours, while rising sea temperatures amplify the energy of hurricanes and typhoons, making them more destructive. Additionally, global heating accelerates evaporation from soil and shifts rainfall patterns, exacerbating drought conditions.
In 2024, flash floods ravaged Nepal and Brazil, while river flooding devastated regions in central Europe, China, and Bangladesh. Super Typhoon Yagi, which struck Southeast Asia in September, and Storm Boris, which battered Europe the same month, were intensified by climate change.
Droughts also wreaked havoc, halving crop production in southern Africa and leaving over 30 million people facing food shortages. Farmers were forced to cull livestock as pastures dried up, and reduced hydropower output caused widespread blackouts.
“In 2024, Earth experienced its hottest year on record and water systems across the globe bore the brunt, wreaking havoc on the water cycle,” said the report’s leader, Prof Albert van Dijk.
He said 2024 was a year of extremes but that was not an isolated occurrence. “It is part of a worsening trend of more intense floods, prolonged droughts, and record-breaking extremes.” The report warned of even greater dangers in 2025 as carbon emissions continued to rise .
The report, compiled by an international team of researchers from Australia, Saudi Arabia, China, Germany, and other countries, analysed data from thousands of ground stations and satellites. They tracked critical water variables such as rainfall, soil moisture, river flows, and flooding.
The findings indicate a troubling trend: rainfall records are being broken with increasing frequency. In 2024, monthly rainfall records were set 27% more often than in 2000, daily records 52% more often, and record lows 38% more often.
“So we are seeing worse extremes on both sides,” said Van Dijk.
Specific regions bore the brunt of these changes. From May to July, southern China experienced catastrophic flooding along the Yangtze and Pearl rivers, displacing tens of thousands and causing extensive crop damage. In Bangladesh, heavy monsoon rains in August affected nearly 6 million people, destroying over a million tonnes of rice. In October, Spain faced deadly flash floods when more than 500mm of rain fell in just eight hours, while Porto Alegre, Brazil, saw two months’ worth of rain in three days in May, submerging roads and homes.
“Heavy rainfall events also caused widespread flash flooding in Afghanistan and Pakistan, killing more than 1,000 people,” Van Dijk said. The flooding also displaced 1.5 million people.
In the Amazon, drought struck.
“Wildfires driven by the hot and dry weather burned through more than 52,000 sq km in September alone, releasing vast amounts of greenhouse gases,” Van Dijk said. “From historic droughts to catastrophic floods, these extreme events impact lives, livelihoods, and entire ecosystems.”
Looking ahead, researchers warn of worsening droughts in northern South America, southern Africa, and parts of Asia in 2025. Simultaneously, wetter regions like the Sahel and Europe may face heightened flood risks, highlighting the urgent need for global action to address the escalating water crises fuelled by climate change.
“We need to prepare and adapt to inevitably more severe extreme events,” said Van Dijk. “That can mean stronger flood defences, developing more drought-resilient food production and water supplies, and better early warning systems. Water is our most critical resource, and its extremes – both floods and droughts – are among the greatest threats we face.”
——————————————————————————
At Natural World Fund, we are passionate about rewilding the UK to stop the decline in our wildlife.
Donate now and join in the solution!