NCAR scientists link the decline to lower rainfall, more evaporation and higher water use.
In the study of 925 rivers, about three-quarter’s of the world’s streams, those where water levels are falling outnumbered those with rising levels by 2.5 to one. Water flows increased in sparsely populated areas near the Arctic Ocean, where snow and ice are rapidly melting.
Freshwater that flows from rivers to oceans help regulate the global climate, according to NCAR, which recommends close monitoring of oceans’ freshwater content.
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