All regions of the world saw water extremes last year -- both floods and droughts -- and billions of people had insufficient freshwater, the United Nations said on Tuesday.
Large areas of the planet recorded drier than normal conditions in 2021, the UN's World Meteorological Organization said in its first annual State of Global Water Resources report.
The report assesses the effects of changes in the climate, environment and society on the Earth’s freshwater resources -- limited supplies that are under growing demand -- so they can be managed better.
"The impacts of climate change are often felt through water -- more intense and frequent droughts, more extreme flooding, more erratic seasonal rainfall and accelerated melting of glaciers -- with cascading effects on economies, ecosystems and all aspects of our daily lives," said WMO head Petteri Taalas.
