71% of the Earth’s surface is water-covered. 97% of that water can be found in our ocean; 2% is frozen in glaciers and ice caps, and 1% is fresh. The ocean generates 50% of the oxygen we need to survive, absorbs 31% of all carbon dioxide emissions and captures 90% of the excess heat generated by these emissions. It is not just 'the lungs of the planet' but also its largest 'carbon sink' – a vital buffer against the impacts of climate change.
HOW DOES GLOBAL WARMING AFFECT WATER?
Water and climate change are inextricably linked. Climate change affects the world’s water in complex ways.
- As the oceans heat and the glaciers and the ice shelves melt, the sea levels rise and the ocean acidifies.
- As global warming increases water vapor in the atmosphere, heavy rain and snowstorms accelerate – flooding becomes heavier.
- As the warmer and moister atmosphere interacts with our warmer oceans, our hurricanes will be more intense, produce more rainfall and probably be larger.
- As temperatures rise, precipitation patterns are disrupted and one result is water scarcity, leading to worsening droughts. This is no longer a distant threat. By 2030, fresh water demand is expected to outpace supply by 40%. The effects of water stress will be felt in industries from agriculture to e-commerce, putting up to $70 trillion of global GDP at risk, according to the World Resources Institute.
Most impacts of climate change come down to water or the lack thereof.
HOW DO THOSE ISSUES AFFECT US ECONOMICALLY?
Since tracking began in 1980 through 2024, the top four most economically costly US weather and climate disasters are water-related:
- Tropical cyclones (hurricanes) at $1,411.2B billion
- Severe storms at $485.2 billion
- Droughts at $360.2 billion
- Inland flooding at $200.2 billion
OUTSIDE OF FUNCTIONING AS A CARBON SINK, CAN THE OCEAN PROVIDE OTHER CLIMATE CHANGE SOLUTIONS?
Although the oceans are warming about 40% faster than the UN had previously predicted, a report published by The World Resources Institute in 2023, The Ocean as a Solution to Climate Change: Updated Opportunities for Action, imagines the ocean as a powerful source that could deliver up to 35% of emission cuts needed to limit temp rise to 1.5°C by 2050. Some of these changes include:
- Scaling ocean-based renewable energy (like hydropower or tidal power)
- Decarbonizing ocean-based transport
- Conserving and restoring coastal and marine ecosystems
- Utilizing low carbon food from the ocean
- Developing marine carbon dioxide removal and carbon capture and storage under the seabed
- Decarbonizing ocean-based tourism
- Reducing offshore oil and gas extraction
Maybe it is time to visit these 10 incredible places before they vanish — all due to climate change-related water issues. (Learn more about disappearing places here).
More to learn about water here.
Notes: * To stay under a 1.5°C change relative to pre-industrial levels
Figure 2: Summary of Wider Impact of Ocean-based interventions on Sustainable Development Dimensions
Notes: Wider-impact dimensions cover various sustainable development dimension indicators as well as 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SD). The figure shows the relative strength of the relationship between the ocean-based areas of interventions and the SDGs. The relationship between each ocean-based mitigation option and SDG is given a linkage score, positive scores shown by green boxes and negative scores shown by yellow/red boxes. Scores range from +3 (indivisible) to -3 [cancelling) (Nilsson et al. 2016). A zero score (no bar and no colour) means no impact was found in this review of the literature. For intervention areas where there is more than one mitigation option, an average of the linkage score is taken among the mitigation options in that area. Further information on the linkage scores and the associated confidence levels are provided in the Annex.
08/18/26
The area with the highest rainfall amounts this past week was primarily a wide band from Nebraska east to Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and West Virginia. Totals over 5 inches were observed in central Illinois…
09/02/25
According to a 2014 Government Accountability Report, 40 out of 50 state water managers expect water shortages under average conditions in some portion of their states over the next decade.
10/17/24
Climate change is primarily a water crisis. We feel its impacts through worsening floods, rising sea levels, shrinking ice fields, wildfires and droughts.
10/17/24
This Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC) was prepared following an IPCC Panel decision in 2016 to prepare three Special Reports during the Sixth Assessment Cycle. By assessing new…
08/12/24
Water conservation is an essential component of environmental protection. From cars to lawns to hoses to laundry, and more, here are a series of simple steps each of us can take to help conserve our…
11/30/23
As part of the long-standing partnership between NASA and Google, NASA worked with Google Arts & Culture and artist Yiyun Kang to create an interactive digital experience around global freshwater resources titled “A Passage of…
03/30/23
In March 2023 the world will come together during the UN 2023 Water Conference convened by the UN General Assembly. The parameters of the outcomes of the UN 2023 Water Conference are described in General…
02/04/22
Award-winning nonprofit journalism from the frontlines of water, food, and energy in the changing climate.
12/16/21
The wind finally blew the other way last night and kicked out the smoke from the burning Sierra. Down here in the flatland of California, we used to regard the granite mountain as a place…
10/31/21
Greta is known for her famous speeches before world leaders. She recently spoke at COP 26 where delegates from around the world are charged with fulfilling goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework…
11/19/20
Water is the defining feature of this planet and fundamental to life as we know it. Most everyone knows that. Of course my special focus is the rise of sea level, primarily as a result of…
10/06/20
Surging Waters: Science Empowering Communities in the Face of Flooding is a report produced by AGU, a global not-for-profit scientific society dedicated to advancing the Earth and space sciences for the benefit of humanity.
10/01/20
UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme.
08/14/20
Water is the lifeblood of humanity. With it, communities thrive. But, when the supply and demand of fresh water are misaligned, the delicate environmental, social, and financial ecosystems on which we all rely are at…
06/25/20
Find out how rising global temperatures affect the water cycle in our latest infographic.
06/25/20
Acid rain describes any form of precipitation that contains high levels of nitric and sulfuric acids. It can also occur in the form of snow, fog, and tiny bits of dry material that settle to…
06/10/20
When the first photo of Earth was taken from Apollo 17 in 1972, few could understand the cultural impact it would have. The Blue Marble, this singular sphere floating in deep space, was the perfect…
02/20/20
There’s so much to know about our H2O! Where does it come from and how does it get into our homes? How is it cleaned before we drink it? Which laws protect it? What other…
02/06/20
Get the facts about our ocean and coasts.
01/01/20
Since 2012, water utilities' testing has found pollutants in Americans' tap water, according to an EWG drinking water quality analysis of 32 million state water records.
