Scientists are sounding the alarm: the world is rapidly losing fresh water
Against a backdrop of population growth, urbanization, and industrial demand, global water consumption could increase by 20–33% by 2050 compared to 2010 levels. At the same time, water remains a highly unevenly distributed resource: although it covers approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface, only approximately 2.5% of the world’s water supply is freshwater. Of this share, nearly 69% is concentrated in glaciers and ice caps, approximately 30% is in groundwater, and the most accessible surface water in rivers, lakes, and wetlands accounts for only about 1%.
Anthropogenic and climatic changes in the Earth’s rivers and lakes
Changes in the condition of surface water bodies are directly linked to risks to human health and biodiversity. Chemicals that can accumulate in food webs and substances that pose a risk to drinking water are being detected in these waters. Furthermore, pollution increases the likelihood of waterborne disease outbreaks.
A ‘Healthy’ Pacific El Niño: Impacts, Research, and Forecasts for 2026
El Niño and La Niña are opposing phases of the Southern Oscillation (ENSO), one of the most powerful drivers of interannual climate variability. These are naturally occurring climate phenomena characterized by increased sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. El Niño events typically occur every 2 to 7 years and last for 9 to 12 months. They often begin to form between March and June, reach their peak intensity between November and February, and have the strongest impact on global temperatures for the year following their onset.
Satellites in Earth orbit monitor soil moisture, water availability, river flow, and the global water cycle
The primary objective of the SMAP mission is to assess the moisture content of the surface soil layer and its state (frozen or thawed). Another pioneering reconnaissance mission of the European Space Agency, the HydroGNSS satellites, has become an important step in expanding global understanding of water availability and the impact of climate change on the global water cycle. The SWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography) satellite allows for the assessment of river discharge, defined as the volume of water flowing per second at a given point along the river.
Some facts about natural and anthropogenic pollution of rivers and lakes over the past few years
Mercury and plastic from rivers and lakes can not only harm local ecosystems but also pose a danger to humans, as river water is actively used by humans. And when it reaches the sea, the carcinogen can accumulate in seafood and be ingested by humans. In Greenland, in just the last couple of years, thousands of large blue lakes have turned brown; they’ve filled with stinking mud that releases carbon into the atmosphere. Another study found that mercury levels have nearly doubled in virtually all the world’s major rivers. And the first data collected on plastic pollution in the Amazon basin in 2025 reveals its widespread prevalence.
The shallowing of the Caspian Sea is a dangerous environmental problem for many Eurasian countries
According to the Federal Agency for Fisheries, the Caspian Sea’s water level has dropped by nearly 2.4 meters since the mid-1990s. The coastline and aquatic bioresources are experiencing colossal external impacts. As a result, populations of entire species, including the Caspian seal, could disappear. The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth. Over 130 rivers flow into it, the largest of which are the Volga, Ural, Terek, Sulak, and Samur. Five countries are located on the Caspian coastline: Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Iran. In 2023, a local emergency was declared in the Aktau region of Kazakhstan due to the rapid shallowing of the Caspian Sea, caused by a decrease in river inflow. This created problems for the local port and fishermen.
Drought and widespread desertification exacerbate poverty, hunger, energy insecurity and ecosystem destruction
According to a new UN-supported report, some of the most severe and devastating droughts in human history have occurred since 2023, driven by climate change and ongoing pressure on land and water resources. The report, “Global Drought Hotspots 2023–2025,” provides a comprehensive account of how droughts exacerbate poverty, hunger, energy insecurity, and ecosystem destruction.
Forced River Diversions in Russia: Opinions and Facts
The Russian Academy of Sciences will explore the feasibility of constructing a water pipeline from the Ob River to Uzbekistan—a similar project to the Soviet-era “diversion” of Siberian rivers to Central Asia, but using plastic pipes. It has also been announced when the RAS will consider the project to divert Siberian rivers to Donbas.
Coastal cities are predicted to be at risk of flooding by the end of the century
An oceanographer has warned of a possible rise in global sea levels of up to 1.3 meters by 2100. According to another new study, published in the journal Urban Sustainability, unless fossil fuel emissions are rapidly reduced, rising sea levels could put more than 100 million buildings at risk of regular flooding.
The past year has delighted scientists with new species of aquatic life
Three new species of pond snails, new species of deep-sea snails, a new giant sea bug called “Darth Vader,” a “big-butt star,” a “small sweet potato,” and dozens of previously unseen species have been discovered.
Research mission discovers five new hydrothermal vents in highly volcanic region of eastern Pacific Ocean
Researchers have learned that the site responsible for more than 75 percent of the world’s volcanic activity is more active than previously thought as they recently discovered five new hydrothermal vents, each spewing fluids hotter than 570°F.
Different types of plankton have significantly changed the ocean’s color over the past two decades
The color of the Earth’s oceans has changed significantly over the past two decades, and these changes are the result of human-induced climate change. They cannot be explained by natural variability alone, and they affect more than 56 percent of our planet’s oceans, which is more than the total land area on our planet. At the same time, there has been an increase in the number of plankton species Noctiluca scintillans, which is destroying marine ecosystems by depleting oxygen and changing the shape of the food chain.
Antarctic and Atlantic currents weaken, La Niña delayed, scientists discover new ocean currents
Antarctic currents, which supply 40% of the world’s deep oceans with nutrients and oxygen, are slowing dramatically. These deep ocean tides supply nearly half the world’s oceans with vital nutrients and oxygen, but melting ice shelves are slowing them. Currents in the Atlantic Ocean are also weakening — which could make the climate in some regions unrecognizable. And a newly discovered body of water called Atlantic Equatorial Water stretches from Brazil to West Africa.
Acid zone could make up half of the world’s oceans by the end of the century
At 13,000 feet below the ocean’s surface is an acidic zone, and it’s growing. The carbonate compensation depth—the zone where high pressure and low temperatures create conditions so acidic that they dissolve shells and skeletons—could comprise half the world’s oceans by the end of the century. At the same time, declining oxygen levels in the water pose a critical threat to nature and society on Earth.
Oceanographers have explored the area around the Nazca Ridge in the Pacific Ocean and discovered a huge underwater mountain
Oceanographers led by the Schmidt Ocean Institute exploring the depths of the Pacific Ocean discovered a huge seamount in September 2024. The 3,109-meter-high seamount is a major find. It is one of many discoveries made during a 28-day survey in late summer by oceanographers on the research vessel Falkor. But satellites are no less important in exploring the ocean depths — satellites are mapping the Earth’s ocean floor in unprecedented detail.
Sea levels rose faster than expected in 2024
A NASA analysis showed a surprising rise in sea levels in 2024. Last year’s rise was driven by unusually strong ocean warming combined with the melting of land ice such as glaciers. As a result, Hawaii, for example, is sinking 40 times faster than scientists had previously thought, with some parts of the island chain sinking at a rate of 0.6 millimeters per year, but others are in much worse shape.
Scientists have recorded a slowdown and change in ocean currents
Antarctic currents, which supply 40% of the world’s deep oceans with nutrients and oxygen, are slowing dramatically. Other models show the Gulf Stream is weakening and the AMOC could be close to collapse, with serious implications for climate. The Italian findings suggest that current modeling used to track the flow of sediment and pollutants in the deep sea and reconstruct ancient ocean conditions needs to be updated.
The world is seeing a sharp drop in fresh water levels and rising sea levels
The Earth’s sea levels are rising, damaging the livelihoods and infrastructure of coastal communities around the world. Agencies and organizations are working to prepare people for the changing world around them. An international team of scientists, using observations from NASA-German satellites, has found evidence that the total amount of fresh water on Earth has dropped sharply since May 2014 and has remained low since then.
Thousands of birds killed by fuel oil spill in Kerch Strait
The number of dead and injured birds is estimated at first thousands. Heroic volunteers, veterinarians, and volunteer assistants washed more than 2,000 birds from fuel oil. Environmentalists are not ready to confirm the facts of dolphin deaths from fuel oil pollution, although isolated cases have been discovered in recent days. But the birds rescued after the oil spill died after they were released into the wild. Volunteers believe that the birds should not have been released, since their fat layer was washed away and their thermoregulation was disrupted, so they needed to undergo rehabilitation.
Melting permafrost triggers release of hazardous gases from deep underground sources
A new physics model suggests that meltwater from thawing permafrost on Russia’s Yamal Peninsula could release methane gas sources at depth, causing explosions that create huge craters on the surface. Meanwhile, thawing permafrost in the Arctic could release cancer-causing radioactive radon. And off the coast of Alaska, the U.S. Coast Guard says an underwater volcano-like structure is spewing gas.
NASA Analysis Shows Irreversible Sea Level Rise in Pacific Islands
NASA analysis shows irreversible sea level rise in Pacific islands as climate change rapidly changes a region of the world home to millions of people. Over the next 30 years, Pacific island nations such as Tuvalu, Kiribati and Fiji will see sea levels rise by at least 6 inches (15 centimeters), according to an analysis by NASA’s Sea Level Change Science Group. That level of rise would occur regardless of whether greenhouse gas emissions change in the coming years.
Redistribution of the Earth’s water balance – desertification of southern Russia and Europe and filling of lakes in deserts
The director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research warned that precipitation, the source of all fresh water, can no longer be relied upon: the global water cycle has been disrupted for the first time in human history. Russian scientists have warned that deserts are gradually taking over southern Russia. Jim Skea, chairman of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said that deserts could appear in southern Europe; climate change has intensified droughts in Europe. Their formation will be caused by global warming. Satellites have taken photographs showing how the sands of the Sahara Desert are filling with water.
Climate change is having a detrimental effect on marine life
Climate change is affecting salmon migration. Coral die-offs off Australia in the summer of 2024 are linked to rising Pacific temperatures. The world’s largest and most devastating sponge die-off has been recorded off New Zealand. Global warming will reduce the survival rate of shark embryos during spawning by up to eight times. The University of California Institute of Marine Science, along with a large team from other institutions, has created early warning systems that predict where marine heat waves (MHWS) will occur.
The Erigone family of asteroids are water-rich space rocks that offer a window into the solar system’s past
A family of primitive asteroids is giving astronomers a window into the past as they seek to unravel the history of these small space rocks that are believed to have once brought water to Earth.
Radioactive tritium from Fukushima found near the Southern Kuril Islands
Laboratory analyses of the first water samples obtained during the expedition of the research vessel Akademik Oparin showed elevated tritium levels in the main branch of the Kuroshio Current, which was to be expected based on the current pattern in the region, as well as elevated tritium levels in the area of the South Kuril Islands. Therefore, the goal of the new expedition is a more thorough study of the waters of the Kuril Islands and the southern part of the Sea of Okhotsk, which is the most important fishing zone in Russia, the press service of the V. I. Ilychev Pacific Oceanological Institute (TOI) of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences told TASS.
Earthquakes continue to rage along the Pacific coast
A strong earthquake occurred off the coast of Sakhalin on August 10, a powerful earthquake occurred off the coast of Japan on August 8, and an earthquake occurred off the coast of the Southern Kuril Islands on July 30. A strong earthquake occurred in Taiwan on April 3, which was the most powerful on the island in the last 25 years.
The Arctic and Antarctica continue to melt rapidly, revealing ancient things hidden beneath the ice
The Arctic is warming faster than anywhere else on Earth. Ice and snow are melting, and Arctic sea ice is thinning and retreating. This means that algae living on the bottom of the sea ice are getting more sunlight, leading to an annual summer bloom once there is enough light. Erebus, located on Antarctica’s Ross Island (separated from the mainland by McMurdo Sound), is the southernmost active volcano on Earth; the second-tallest on the sixth continent, at 3,794 metres.
Global warming or Ice Age? Dangerous games of carbon dioxide
According to research by experts from the University of Colorado Boulder, more and more fresh water has been entering the Arctic Ocean over the past two decades. If this trend continues, the freshening of the North Atlantic could disrupt ocean currents, the authors of the study fear. During the last ice age, the Earth experienced the highest increase in CO2: 14 parts per million in just 55 years. Deep beneath the ice of Antarctica, a giant river system has been discovered that existed 40 million years ago.
Tropical rains have moved north and deadly thunderstorms have become more frequent
Scientists at the University of California, Riverside, have found that carbon dioxide emissions will cause tropical rains to shift north in the coming decades. This will have a profound impact on agriculture and the economy of the Earth’s equatorial belt. Eastern China has seen heavy rains that have caused significant water levels in the Yangtze and other rivers, forcing the evacuation of nearly a quarter of a million people. In 2022, lightning strikes across India killed nearly 3,000 people. In Central America, continuous rainfall has killed at least 27 people in landslides and floods over the past week.
Magnetic field and sea
German zoologists have found that bottlenose dolphins are as good as sharks and other fish in their ability to sense very weak electric fields, which allows these cetaceans to use the Earth’s magnetic field for orientation in space. Underwater compasses have recorded disturbances in the Earth’s magnetic field deep under water.
Global warming tipping point could trigger ice age
Temperatures in Western Europe could fall by 5 to 10 degrees Celsius over the course of the century. While this may sound good in an era of rising temperatures around the world, such a climate event would have devastating consequences for agriculture. As one climate scientist told Inside Climate News, it would be like “trying to grow potatoes in Northern Norway.” According to Slate, other places (such as Norway) will simply become too cold for human habitation.
In the Russian city of Orsk on April 5, a dam broke, 1,121 people were evacuated, including 331 children
Water continues to arrive in Orsk. At the moment, about 600 houses on nine streets are flooded. Earlier, the Orsk mayor’s office reported that a dam that protected the city from the Ural River had broken. There is a massive evacuation of people from the Old City, where several villages are located that fell into the flood zone. Temporary accommodation centers have been prepared for those evacuated from the flooded area. The mayor’s office clarified that the protective dam in the area of Orenburgskaya Street broke through. 4,258 houses and 10,987 people fall into the flood zone. The city has prepared temporary accommodation centers for 6.5 thousand places, housing 235 people, including 73 children.
New natural sources of greenhouse gases and associated climate control technologies
Layers of methane are locked under permafrost in Arctic regions, but if they were released it could cause problems for the rest of the world. Researchers also discovered intense methane emissions deep in the Baltic Sea. Methane can be a real problem for the environment. The greenhouse gas, made up of carbon and hydrogen and about 80 percent more potent than carbon dioxide, occurs naturally in sedimentary layers of the seafloor and is responsible for about 30 percent of global temperature rise.
In 18% of the regions of the planet Earth, the circulation of fresh water has been significantly disrupted as a result of human activity
A new study by an international team of scientists has concluded that aquifer depletion is affecting countries around the world and can threaten both the stability of local ecosystems and water security, with groundwater pumping causing the entire planet to tilt. Also, an international team of hydrologists and climatologists comprehensively studied the fresh water cycle on Earth and came to the conclusion that in 18% of the planet’s regions, the circulation of fresh water between rivers, ponds, lakes, other bodies of water and other environments has been significantly disrupted as a result of human activity.
Anomalous red snow fell in the Primorsky Territory
Specialists of the Scientific Center for Marine Biology named after. A.V. Zhirmunsky Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences analyzed samples and found that tens of thousands of crustaceans – representatives of zooplankton of the genera Neocalanus, Pseudocalanus, Metridia and Microcalanus – were frozen into the ice. It turned out that due to the presence of carotenoid pigments in the bodies of the crustaceans, the water turned red. The phenomenon was recorded during monitoring in the area of the Vostok Marine Biological Station in the bay of the same name. The discovered species of copepods form the basis of the zooplankton population in the bay in winter and are typical inhabitants of its open deep-sea areas, said specialists from the National Scientific Center for Marine Biology, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Russian station “Vostok” in Antarctica explores Lake Vostok
Lake Vostok was the last major geographical discovery on Earth, and it was made by Russia. The existence of the lake under four kilometers of ice was proven in 1994. In February 2012, for the first time in human history, as a result of drilling into the ice sheet, Russian scientists reached the surface of the subglacial Lake Vostok at a depth of 3769.3 meters. The Russian research station “Vostok” is one of the most modern and well-equipped in Antarctica, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the ceremony of putting into trial operation a new wintering complex.
Groundwater reserves are catastrophically declining
Groundwater supplies are being depleted in aquifers around the world, a new study has found, with the rate of decline accelerating over the past four decades in nearly a third of the aquifers studied. Rapid declines in water levels are most common in aquifers beneath cropland in drier regions, the largest analysis of groundwater trends shows.
75% of the world’s industrial fishing vessels are not trackable
An innovative study by Sentinel-1 and AI (European Space Agency) combining satellite data and artificial intelligence has shed light on the number of ships, wind turbines and oil platforms at sea. Shockingly, the study shows that about 75% of the world’s industrial fishing vessels were previously hidden from publicly available tracking systems. The study, published recently in the journal Nature, was conducted by Global Fishing Watch, an organization that seeks to improve ocean governance through increased transparency of human activity at sea.
The oldest forests on Earth are over 32 million years old
Kelp forests arose on the floor of the Pacific Ocean at least 32 million years ago, not 14-15 million years ago as previously thought. This calls into question the prevailing ideas about the evolution of their inhabitants, the press service of the University of California at Berkeley reported. Researchers have found that these important oceanic ecosystems appeared in the Pacific Ocean at the beginning of the Oligocene era, over 32 million years ago. The largest kelp forests are found in cold seas (Arctic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, Nordic Seas), but in 2007 kelp forests were also discovered in tropical waters near Ecuador.
Dagestan, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan announced an environmental disaster in the Caspian Sea
The water level in the Caspian Sea is rapidly decreasing; since 1996, the water level in the Caspian Sea has dropped by almost three meters. Fishing is rapidly declining, ships cannot enter the port due to shallowing. Some scientists call the situation with the Caspian shallowing catastrophic. The water level has dropped so much that shipping in the port of Makhachkala is increasingly stopped after a storm. And these days the ships are in the roadstead near Makhachkala because they cannot enter the port – the canals are covered with sand.
A wall of 17 artificial islands in the Pacific Ocean with a total length of 24 kilometers will be built around the capital of Indonesia
Jakarta, a metropolis of 10 million, is recognized as the most sinking city in the world. Every year the capital drops by 25 centimeters, and floods due to tides rise by 200 centimeters. Floods are already costing the state dearly – the disaster takes tens of billions of dollars from the government every year. According to forecasts, in the next 10 years there will be even more flooding, and by 2050 a third of the city risks being under water.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Has Its Own Flora and Fauna
Scientists have discovered more than 40 species of animals living in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a collection of man-made debris in the North Pacific Ocean. In size it is more than 900 thousand square meters. km.
The last whalers are going to stop their fishing
A moratorium on whaling, with the exception of the needs of the indigenous population of certain regions, has been in effect since 1982. But Japan, Norway and Iceland continue to harvest whales through quotas and withdrawal from the International Whaling Commission.
In the UK, crabs, lobsters and octopuses are recognized as sentient animals and are protected under animal rights law
Decapods – crabs, lobsters, shrimp and crayfish; Cephalopod cephalopods – octopuses, squids and cuttlefish – have a complex central nervous system, which is one of the key features of their ability to experience various feelings.
NASA and UNESCO plan to study up to 80 percent of the ocean floor by 2030
The US space agency’s goal is twofold: to understand the nature of the oceans that exist on other planets and to develop technologies to operate in extreme conditions. UNESCO study of the world’s oceans is important for preserving a sustainable climate and ecosystems.
Unexpected sources of ocean pollution
Decaying plastic and nutrients from cities and farms pollute the ocean as much as oil spills.
Melting glaciers reveal unknown species and meteorite remains
Glaciers are capable of preserving information about the history of the Earth, as they trap dust particles, traces of gas, microbes and plant matter from the environment.