World’s rivers experienced one of the driest years in more than three decades in 2025

In 2025, rivers around the world experienced one of the driest years in more than three decades, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The total amount of freshwater stored on the surface and underground was 42% below normal.

Only around one-third of the world’s rivers had flows within the normal range. Over the past seven years, the number of rivers with normal flow levels was the lowest since 1991.

River flows were below or well below normal across 36% of global river basin areas. At the same time, flows were above or well above normal across 21% of basin areas, highlighting increasing instability in the global water cycle.

The WMO links these fluctuations to more frequent extreme weather events, including droughts, floods and changing rainfall patterns. This increases the risk of water shortages for agriculture, households and industry.

Shrinking glacier reserves remain another important factor. In 2025, glaciers worldwide lost around 400 gigatons of ice, contributing approximately 1.1 mm to global sea-level rise.

Tags: drought, rivers, WMO, weather conditions