CANBERRA, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- Ongoing shifts in the global water cycle amplified floods, droughts and heat extremes in 2025, causing thousands of deaths and hundreds of billions in losses, a new report said Wednesday.
The 2025 Global Water Monitor Report led by The Australian National University (ANU) demonstrates that continued warming is altering how water moves, is stored and is exchanged between the atmosphere, land and oceans, with significant consequences for societies and ecosystems, said an ANU news release.
The report found that nearly 5,000 people died and about 8 million were displaced in water-related disasters in 2025, with economic losses surpassing 360 billion U.S. dollars.
Losses arose from floods, tropical cyclones, droughts and wildfires, which interact and cascade through water, food and energy systems, it said.
"Changes to the water cycle are influencing the timing and location of disasters," said Professor Albert van Dijk of ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society.
"In 2025, floods, droughts and heat-related hazards repeatedly hit the same regions in quick succession, amplifying their combined impacts," van Dijk said, adding that rapid swings between wet and dry extremes, or "climate whiplash," strained water systems, ecosystems and infrastructure, worsening the overall impact of climate-related events.
"The report documents how changes in atmospheric moisture, soil and groundwater conditions, river flows and surface water extent were closely associated with many of the year's most damaging climate disasters," he said.
The report linked 2025's disasters, from Himalayan glacial lake floods to equatorial cyclones, to record-warm conditions. Europe endured heat-related deaths and wildfires, while South and Southeast Asia faced extensive monsoon flooding.
Researchers warned of rising drought risks in 2026 for regions including the Mediterranean, the Horn of Africa, Brazil, and Central Asia, with heightened flood potential in the Sahel, Southern Africa, northern Australia, and much of Asia. ■
