Ozone Layer Healing,Global Water Cycle Disrupted: WMO Reports Mixed Climate News
GENEVA – The ozone layer is on track to recover within decades,thanks to the continued success of the Montreal Protocol,but the global water cycle is becoming increasingly erratic,posing significant challenges worldwide,according to two new reports released by the World Meteorological Institution (WMO). The assessments paint a picture of environmental progress alongside emerging crises, highlighting the critical need for sustained scientific investment and evidence-based policy.
The WMO’s Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion 2024 confirms the ongoing recovery of the stratospheric ozone layer, projecting it will return to 1980 levels over most of the globe by 2040. Full recovery of polar ozone is expected by around 2045. This positive trend is directly attributable to the phase-out of ozone-depleting substances under the Montreal Protocol, a landmark international environmental agreement. However, the reports emphasize the need for continued monitoring of both ozone levels and the substances that threaten it.
Alongside this encouraging news,the WMO’s State of Global Water Resources report 2024 reveals a destabilizing water cycle. The report details significant anomalies in river discharge in 2024 compared to the 1991-2020 baseline,derived from modelled data from an ensemble of 12 GHMS simulations. These fluctuations underscore the growing impact of climate change on freshwater availability and the urgent need for improved water resource management.
“Despite the great success of the Montreal protocol in the intervening decades, this work is not yet finished, and there remains an essential need for the world to continue careful systematic monitoring of both stratospheric ozone and of ozone-depleting substances and their replacements,” said Matt Tully, chair of WMO’s Scientific Advisory Group on Ozone and Solar UV Radiation.
WMO experts are urging nations to apply the same rigorous, science-based approach to managing water resources as they have to ozone protection. “Reliable, science-based details is more vital than ever before because we cannot manage what we do not measure,” a WMO representative stated. “The WMO’s State of Global Water Resources Report 2024 is part of WMO’s commitment to provide that knowledge.”
Image credits: WMO.
