World's greatest waterways 'under threat from climate change'

Some of the worlds most famous, iconic and relied-upon stretches of water, including the Ganges river, the Niger and the Yellow river, may diminish significantly over time due to climate change.

These are the findings of a global waterways study conducted by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Colorado, which discovered that global warming has a much worse effect upon the world's rivers than previously believed.

It concluded that waterways close to heavily populated areas are the most threatened and that as they dry out over the coming years, those relying heavily upon them will face food and water shortages.

Kevin Trenberth from the NCAR stated: "In the subtropics, this [decrease] is devastating, but the continent affected most is Africa."

According to Dr David Molden, deputy director of research for the International Water Management Institute, industries and individuals around the world should strive to reduce their water usage as one-third of the global population face shortages, the BBC reports.