Worsening Climate Crisis May Intensify Global Water Shortage, Says New Report

According to the most extensive evaluation of climate research to date, water issues - drought, with its attendant wildfires and flooding - are expected to grow considerably worse throughout the planet as climate crisis intensifies.

Hundreds of millions of people rely on glaciers for water and agriculture, and these are expected to be among the most severely impacted water systems. "Measurements reveal glaciers in many regions of the world now have negative mass balances even with current global mean temperatures," said Roger Braithwaite, an honorary senior research fellow at the University of Manchester.

As a result, glaciers are not considered 'safe' under the Paris Agreement [which sets a goal of 1.5°C and a limit of 2°C]."

"Glaciers have retreated globally since the 1990s; this is unprecedented in at least two millennia and is a clear indicator of the consequences of global warming," Meredith continued.

In addition, many towns downstream rely on high-mountain glaciers for their way of life since they provide a consistent source of freshwater for drinking and irrigating crops.

According to Jonathan Farr, senior policy analyst for climate change at the charity WaterAid, these impacts on water systems are already causing devastation to millions of people worldwide, worsening poverty, disrupting societies, and turning life into a daily struggle for some of the most vulnerable.

Intergovernmental Collaboration

Governments convening in Glasgow in November for the UN Cop26 climate conference must take action not just on greenhouse gas emissions but also on giving funds for impoverished countries to adapt to the already-observed consequences of the climate catastrophe, he stressed.

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