From climate change to dam construction: A multi-stressor analysis of global river water temperature change

River water temperature is a critical determinant of aquatic ecosystem health and water resource security. Understanding the compounded effects of climate change and human activities is therefore paramount. This review pioneers a quantitative synthesis of the research landscape, employing bibliometric analysis to move beyond narrative summaries and objectively map the field’s intellectual structure at a global scale. Our analysis confirms climate change as the principal driver of river warming, exacerbated by extreme events. Critically, we highlight the pervasive role of human activities, such as dam construction, urbanization, and land-use change, in modulating these thermal regimes through complex synergistic and antagonistic interactions. A key finding is that while dam operations can antagonistically buffer climate-driven warming by creating thermal lags, urbanization and reduced flows often synergistically amplify it. These multi-stressor dynamics exhibit significant regional and seasonal variation, with urban hotspots and latitudinal disparities being particularly evident. This data-driven mapping underscores the urgent need to shift research towards untangling these interactions. We conclude by advocating for enhanced monitoring, the development of advanced multi-source coupled models, and context-specific management strategies, such as optimized reservoir operations and riparian restoration, to mitigate compounded pressures and enhance ecosystem resilience under global change.