Regions forecast to have significant water deficits for the 12-month period from March 2019 through February 2020 include: Suriname, French Guiana, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Egypt, Somalia, Angola, and Namibia. Areas with a forecast of significant water surplus include: United States, Paraguay, Syria, northern Iraq, western Iran, Afghanistan, Tanzania, and southeastern China. This Watch List is based on ISciences Water Security Indicator Model v2 (WSIMv2) run on 10 June 2019
Europe: Exceptional water deficits persist in Finland & Latvia
The forecast through April indicates persistent, intense water deficits in Finland, southern Sweden, Estonia and Latvia. Other areas with pockets of fairly intense deficit include northern Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, and eastern Slovenia and Croatia. Moderate to severe deficits are expected in Belarus and across the border into European Russia past the Volga River. Regions with surpluses include Switzerland, Austria, the Balkans, Romania, eastern Ukraine, and Crimea.
Central Asia & Russia: Intense water surpluses forecast in Ob & Yenisei River watersheds
The forecast through February indicates intense water surpluses on the Ob, Vakh, Pur, and Taz Rivers in Russia. Surpluses will be widespread in the Middle Ob region and the Yenisei River watershed. Severe to extreme deficits are forecast for western Kazakhstan, reaching across the northern border into the Ural River watershed in Russia. Surpluses are expected in northern Kazakhstan, eastern Kyrgyzstan, western Tajikistan, and along the Zerafshon River in Ubekistan. Deficits are forecast for eastern Tajikistan and central Kyrgyzstan.
Central Asia & Russia: Water deficits to intensify in the Ural River watershed
The forecast through January indicates intense water surpluses for Russia’s Ob River, Yenisei River watershed, the Nizhnyaya Tunguska River region, and along the Vakh, Pur, and Taz Rivers. Surpluses in the Northern European Plain will intensify, becoming exceptional, and intense surpluses will re-emerge in the Volga Uplands. Deficits will intensify in the Ural River watershed of Russia and Kazakhstan. In Turkmenistan, severe deficits will persist along the Harirud River in Turkmenistan.
Central Asia & Russia: Intense water surpluses forecast between the Ob & Yenisei Rivers, Russia
The forecast through December indicates that prior exceptional water deficits in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, western Kazakhstan, and the North Caucasus region will downgrade considerably, leaving primarily mild conditions. In Russia, surpluses will increase between the Ob and Yenisei Rivers and will be extreme to exceptional. Moderate deficits are forecast in the southern Ural Mountains, with surpluses to the west. Surpluses will re-emerge in the Upper Don River watershed.