The signs have been there for years. Rivers are shrinking. Lakes are receding. Droughts are increasingly severe. The world is drier than ever.
But there is good news, according to the first edition of the World Bank’s Global Water Monitoring Report, “Continental Drying: A Threat to our Common Future,” which provides the most detailed assessment yet of the world’s fresh water.
The newly available data and enhanced satellite images show us exactly where water is disappearing and offer a menu of solutions for areas threatened by the water crisis. Governments, researchers, and communities now have the evidence they need to anticipate risk, design targeted responses, and plan for a drier, more variable future.
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About the author
Axel van Trotsenburg
Axel van Trotsenburg is the World Bank's senior managing director responsible for development policy and partnerships. A Dutch-Austrian national, he directs the World Bank’s core development work captured by the verticals — people, planet, prosperity, infrastructure, and digital — and ensures its integration into operations, with a special focus on climate change, fragility, human capital, and debt sustainability.
