Climate change has significantly disrupted the Earth’s water cycle, leading to a surge in severe water-related disasters, according to a report released Monday led by the Australian National University (ANU).
Last year, the world set new temperature records and extreme precipitation events intensified, said the 2024 Global Water Monitor Report.
Scientific studies of individual events show that the intensity and frequency of many of them can be linked to climate change, the report said.
Among the notable findings from the report is that climate change is intensifying water-related disasters and rising temperatures from fossil fuel emissions are boosting the intensity and rainfall of monsoons, cyclones and other storm systems.
As global temperatures rose rapidly, the average air temperature over land reached a record high, surpassing the 1995-2005 average by 1.2C, or a little over 2F.
More than half of the world’s population across 111 countries endured their hottest year on record, with 34 nations setting new maximum temperature records.
Studies confirmed that global warming made events such as the Southern Africa drought and West Africa monsoon floods more likely and severe, according to the report.
As climate change continues, global temperatures are expected to rise further in 2025, resulting in more heat waves, heightened bushfire risks, stronger storms and extreme rainfall events.