Global Lakes and Reservoirs Experience Alarming Water Losses

Half of the world's largest lakes and reservoirs are experiencing declining water storage due to human activity and climate change, according to a study. The research combined global satellite measurements with climate and hydrologic models to detect trends in lake water storage for nearly 2,000 of the world’s largest lakes and reservoirs from 1992 to 2020. About 53% of the water bodies studied were found to have experienced significant water losses over the last 28 years at a rate of roughly 22 gigatonnes, or 1 billion metric tons, per year. The declining water storage could affect a quarter of the world's population.