ISciences Worldwide Water Watch List January 2020

ISCIENCES WORLDWIDE WATER WATCH LIST JANUARY 2020

15 January 2020

This map presents a selection of regions likely to encounter significant water anomalies during the one year period beginning in October 2019 and running through September 2020 using 3 months of observed temperature and precipitation data and 9 months of forecast data.

The synopsis that follows provides highlights of regional water forecasts. Regional details are available in ISciences Global Water Monitor & Forecast January 15, 2020 (pdf).

United States: The forecast through March 2020 indicates persistent, widespread water surpluses in the Plains States and Upper Midwest with exceptional anomalies in the Dakotas and central Nebraska. Intense deficits will persist in central Colorado and the Salmon River Mountains in Idaho, and deficits will emerge in eastern Texas. Moderate surpluses are forecast for several states in U.S. Southeast.

Canada: The forecast through March 2020 for Canada’s most populated areas indicates nearly normal water conditions for Québec City, Montreal, Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver; moderate deficits west of Ottawa and around Regina; and severe surpluses west of Toronto. Nationwide, anomalies will be similar to those observed in the prior three months including widespread, exceptional deficits in central and northern Quebec.

Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean: The forecast through March 2020 indicates intense water surpluses in Sonora, Mexico, and intense deficits along Mexico’s Pacific Coast in Michoacán, Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Chiapas. Deficits will persist in Veracruz State, reaching inland, and emerge in the Yucatán. Surpluses are forecast in Central America, Haiti’s western coast, and the central Bahamas.

South America: The forecast through March 2020 indicates that water deficits in the region will shrink considerably. Nearly normal water conditions are forecast for much of the Amazon Basin in Brazil and eastern and southern states, but intense deficits will increase in central Brazil. Deficits will persist in much of Chile. Areas of surplus include Venezuela’s Orinoco Delta, central Colombia, and northern Peru.

Europe: The forecast through March 2020 indicates that water deficits will shrink and downgrade in western Ukraine, Belarus, and the Baltics but become exceptional in Moldova, southern Ukraine, eastern Bulgaria, and west-central Poland. Deficits will remain intense in much of Finland. Widespread intense surpluses will persist in northern European Russia. Surpluses in Ireland and the U.K. will moderate.

Africa: The forecast through March 2020 indicates that water deficits in Africa will shrink and downgrade considerably, but exceptional deficits will emerge from central Somalia into Ethiopia. Surpluses in East Africa will remain widespread, particularly in Tanzania and Kenya. Other areas with a forecast of surplus include the Nile River through Egypt and nations on the north coast of the Gulf of Guinea.

Middle East: The forecast through March 2020 indicates that water deficits in the region will retreat considerably, leaving pockets in western Turkey and its central Caspian Coast, Georgia and Azerbaijan, and southwestern Saudi Arabia. Intense surpluses will persist from central into northern Syria; around Mosul, Iraq; and along Iran’s Caspian Sea Coast and border with Turkmenistan.

Central Asia and Russia: The forecast through March 2020 indicates widespread exceptional water surpluses in Russia from the Northern European Plain into the Western Siberian Plain. Exceptional deficits will persist on the Gulf of Ob and increase in the Nizhnyaya Tunguska River and the Upper Lena River regions. Surpluses are forecast for Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Kostanay in northern Kazakhstan.

South Asia: The forecast through March 2020 indicates that water surpluses of varying intensity will continue to dominate the breadth of India with intense anomalies in central Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, western Maharashtra, south-central Karnataka, central Chhattisgarh, and the Far East. Surpluses are also forecast for Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, rivers in Pakistan, and central Afghanistan.

Southeast Asia and the Pacific: Persistent, widespread water deficits are forecast through March 2020 for Thailand and western Cambodia. Deficits will shrink in Malaysia, Sumatra, and Java. Areas of surplus include Myanmar, Vietnam, northern Laos, and Luzon, Philippines.

East Asia: The forecast through March 2020 indicates widespread water surpluses in Northeast China, the Yellow River Basin, the Yangtze’s Upper Basin, and south-central China. Areas of deficits include Yunnan, Hong Kong, Henan, Mongolia, and North Korea.

Australia & New Zealand: Water deficits will shrink and downgrade considerably in Australia through March 2020. Moderate deficits are expected in the southeast from Brisbane, growing more intense as they reach into southern Victoria and Tasmania. Surpluses are forecast in northwestern Western Australia. Deficits will downgrade in New Caledonia.

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Many analyses reported in ISciences-authored blog posts are based on data generated by the ISciences Water Security Indicator Model (WSIM). Other sources, if used, are referenced in footnotes accompanying individual posts. WSIM is a validated capability that produces monthly reports on current and forecast global freshwater surpluses and deficits with lead times of 1-9 months at 0.25°x0.25° resolution. This capability has been in continuous operation since April 2011 and has proven to provide reliable forecasts of emerging water security concerns in that time-frame. WSIM has the ability to assess the impacts of water anomalies on people, agriculture, and electricity generation. Detailed data, customized visualizations, and reports are available for purchase.

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