The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a specialised agency of the United Nations has warned that climate change increases the global risk of water-related hazards such as floods and droughts, and the number of people affected by water scarcity is also expected to soar.

In its new report titled "The State of Climate Services 2021: Water," the Organization said on Tuesday that 3.6 billion people globally had not enough access to water at least one month per year in 2018, and by 2050 this number is expected to exceed five billion, as per reports. "The situation is worsening by the fact that only 0.5 percent of water on the Earth is useable and available freshwater," the report says.

The World Meteorological Organization data indicate that water-related hazards have increased in frequency over the past 20 years. Since 2000, flood-related disasters have risen by 134 per cent compared with the two previous decades, while during the same period the number and duration of droughts also increased by 29 per cent. Most drought-related deaths reportedly occurred in Africa, indicating a need for stronger end-to-end warning systems for drought in that region. Most of the flood-related deaths and economic losses were recorded in Asia, while Africa was hit the most by drought-related deaths.

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