Global Water Monitor 2024 Highlights the Devastating Impact of Climate Change on Water-Related Extremes
Alarming Statistics Reveal the Cost of Climate Change
At least 8,700 lives lost. Forty million people displaced. Damages totaling $550 billion. These staggering figures summarize the global toll of water-related disasters in 2024, as climate change accelerates disruptions to the water cycle. The year brought unprecedented floods, prolonged droughts, and intensified hurricanes.
Floods and Droughts: Climate Change Escalates Extreme Events
Take, for example, the catastrophic flood in Valencia and surrounding regions last October, claiming 230 lives and causing $3.6 billion in damages. Or the flooding in Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul between April and May, which displaced 150,000 people, killed 85, and led to an economic loss of $17 billion.
These events, among others, are highlighted in the Global Water Monitor 2024, a report from the Australian National University that assesses the state of the water cycle under the influence of climate change.
The report documents worrying trends in all key indicators, emphasizing the growing intensity and frequency of water-related extremes. Monthly rainfall records are now 27% more frequent than in 2000, while daily rainfall extremes are up by 52%. Similarly, monthly drought records have surged by 38%.
Rainfall Patterns and Drought Trends
Although global precipitation levels over land were close to the 1995–2005 average, extremely dry months have become increasingly common, rising by 38% in 2024 compared to the baseline period. Climate change is reshaping daily precipitation extremes as well, with a 52% increase compared to the same reference period.
Albert van Dijk, lead author of the report, explained:
“2024 was a year of extreme events, but it wasn’t an anomaly. It’s part of a worsening trend of more intense floods, prolonged droughts, and record-breaking extremes.”
Adapting to a Future of Water Extreme
Van Dijk urged global action:
“We must prepare and adapt to increasingly severe extremes. This means stronger flood defenses, more resilient food production and water reserves, and improved early warning systems. Water is our most critical resource, and its extremes—both floods and droughts—are among the greatest threats we face.”
The Global Water Monitor 2024 leaves no doubt: climate change is amplifying water-related disasters, demanding immediate global efforts to mitigate risks and build resilience.
