Historic trends determine that water has remained the most stable feature of geography. Glaciers replenished downstream systems while the rivers followed familiar course. Groundwater provisioned a dependable reserve while the seasonal rainfall was perceived as a relieving element on which the settlements and agriculture depended upon. However, this reality has certainly transformed and the new water reality is intimidating for more than 8 billion people on planet earth.

The latest State of Global Water Resources 2025 report released by World Meteorological Or-ganization (WMO) presented a sobering picture. The global water cycle is not merely becoming warmer, rather it is becoming more volatile, less predictable and difficult to manage. The report further highlights that 2025 was among the driest years for global river discharge in 35 years, while the number of river basins experiencing normal conditions remained in the minority for the 7thconsecutive year. Below-normal discharge affected approximately 36% of the world’s river-basin area. The most consequential finding of this report was the deterioration of groundwater, glaciers, snow, soil moisture, lakes and other relatively slow-moving freshwater reserves. These resources traditionally provisioned a buffer against temporary droughts and irregular rainfall. Nevertheless, terrestrial water........

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