Statement on the occasion of the 2023 edition of the State of Global Water Resources report

Good afternoon, colleagues, partners, ladies and gentlemen.  

It is a pleasure to present the 2023 edition of the State of Global Water Resources report to an audience deeply involved in hydrology, climate science, and water management. Together, we are working to advance our collective understanding and capabilities of one of the most vital resources—water.

This third edition of our flagship report provides a comprehensive assessment of global water resources, including river flows, groundwater, lake levels, and soil moisture. It reflects contributions from National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs), global data centers, and experts, analyzing the hydrological impacts of a changing climate and generating insights that support sustainable management, policymaking, and risk reduction.

Over the last three years, we have seen an exponential increase in the number of countries engaged in data collection, from 7 to 20, and now to 54 countries contributing to our datasets. This is an encouraging trend, demonstrating the growing commitment of WMO Members to hydrological monitoring and data sharing. However, we must acknowledge that significant gaps still exist, particularly in the underrepresented regions of Africa, South America, and parts of Asia. These data gaps challenge our ability to fully understand global water dynamics and emphasize the need for further collaboration and capacity building.

I was in New York two weeks ago, at the United Nations General Assembly, when the Pact for the Future was adopted.  This pact places significant emphasis on climate action and related environmental challenges, including water scarcity, floods, and sea-level rise. These global challenges transcend ongoing conflicts and divides. Because water is the basis of life on Earth. We need to solve these issues together.  

For us as experts, this report is far more than an assessment—it is an essential resource for guiding our actions, informing policies, and developing effective water management strategies. The year 2023 exemplified the complex reality we face, with significant hydrological extremes. It was the driest year for global rivers in over three decades, and glaciers suffered the most significant mass loss in 50 years, with over 600 gigatons of water lost.

If you ask an AI chatbot what you can do with 600 gigatons of water in terms of food production, you will get the following: you could irrigate enough land to produce approximately 360 million tons of wheat.

To put this into perspective, according to FAO commodities statistics:

• China, the largest wheat producer in the world, produced around 137 million tons of wheat in 2022.
• India, the second-largest wheat producer, produced about 107 million tons of wheat.

This means 600 gigatons of water could potentially irrigate enough wheat to produce more than double the annual wheat production of China or India.

We can see that water is an integral part of food security.

2023 brought us evidence of an increasingly erratic hydrological cycle—prolonged droughts in some regions and catastrophic floods in others. This unpredictable cycle underscores the importance of accurate monitoring, robust forecasting, and early warning systems. Effective early warning depends on our ability to both measure current water conditions and predict future trends, whether they are flash floods or seasonal water availability.

Let me share the key Findings from 2023:

• 2023 Was the Driest Year for Global Rivers in 33 Years
• Glaciers around the world lost the most water in 50 years
• The water cycle is becoming more erratic.  

Looking ahead, we have a clear vision for improving water resource management. WMO will continue to enhance data accessibility through initiatives like the WMO Hydrological Observing System (WHOS), which provides an integrated platform for data sharing and collaboration. In addition, we are focused on developing systematic and standardized status and outlook products, which will form the foundation of informed water resource management and the "Early Warnings for All" initiative.

To support these efforts, we are expanding the Global Hydrological Status and Outlook System (HydroSOS), which focuses on providing sub-seasonal to seasonal forecasts. Additionally, we are working with systems that address other time scales, such as the Flash Flood Guidance System (FFGS), ensuring that communities have access to accurate, timely information—whether the hazard is a flash flood, seasonal drought, or long-term water shortage.

Last week in this same room, the Drought Resilience +10 Conference brought together experts, policymakers, academia, youth, and the private sector, who joined forces to draft a set of actions – touching upon a wide range of areas such as drought risk governance, monitoring, assessing and forecasting droughts, drought relation with ecosystems and health, climate justice and partnerships. These actions are needed for the coming years to achieve a more drought-resilient world.  

The recommendations will be finalized in the next few days and will inform policy and decision makers, and discussions at 16th session of the Conferences of the Parties of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.

One overriding recommendation was the integration of all different ministries and sectors such as agriculture, water, health, and energy to address drought management. We need to embrace the complexity implied by integrated drought management, this is the only way to help countries develop better drought plans to prepare for what is coming: more frequent and intense droughts.

The findings presented in this year’s report remind us of the challenges we face. Accurate data is the foundation of good decision-making, and our ability to monitor and predict water conditions directly influences how well we can implement early warning systems, build resilience, and protect communities.

Water is at the heart of climate adaptation and resilience. It is our shared responsibility to ensure that we understand it, manage it effectively, and prepare for what is to come.  

This requires not only our technical expertise but also our commitment to cooperation and innovation. Together, we can close data gaps, enhance monitoring, and ensure that the benefits of our work reach those who need it most.

Thank you for your dedication, and for your continued partnership in this critical endeavor. I look forward to our continued collaboration as we take these insights forward to build a resilient, water-secure future for all.