ISciences Worldwide Water Watch List June 2017

15 June 2017

This map presents a selection of regions likely to encounter significant water anomalies during the one year period beginning in March 2017 and running through February 2018 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 June 15, 2017 (pdf).

United States: Exceptional water surplus conditions spanning the Pacific northwestern states of Washington, Oregon and Idaho are expected to moderate in the near-term. Moderate surpluses are expected to develop along the central Gulf Coast and extend up the Mississippi Basin through the forecast period, settling over the northern Great Plains states by early 2018. Severe to exceptional deficits are forecast to develop over most of Alaska and moderate but persist throughout the forecast period.

Canada: Pockets of exceptional water deficits affecting the eastern extents of Ontario and central Quebec are expected to persist in the near-term but subside by September. Recent exceptional surplus conditions in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta are expected to continue throughout the forecast period into early 2018. Conditions normalize over the remaining regions of Canada by the December through February 2018 period.

Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean: Recent severe water deficits across Mexico are expected to subside somewhat through August, shifting toward the south and bringing moderate deficit conditions to Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. These conditions are forecast to persist into early 2018. Surplus conditions in southern Nicaragua and northern Costa Rica should subside and moderate by the final forecast period. Exceptional surplus conditions in central Cuba and Haiti are forecast to persist but moderate slightly by early 2018.

South America: Recently observed conditions across the whole of South America are expected to persist through the near-term forecast period with widespread exceptional water deficits spanning the whole of northern Brazil and the Amazon basin. Exceptional surpluses in central Argentina and southern Paraguay persist in the near-term before moderating in the later forecast periods. In the September through November period, severe to exceptional deficits are expected to persist in northern Chile and across the northern states of Brazil including Roraima, Para, and Amapa.

Europe: In the near-term, Europe is forecast to experience generally moderate water deficits with more exceptional conditions affecting the Baltic’s States, Finland and southern Sweden. On the mainland the Benelux States as well as portions of Austria and Italy may experience more intense conditions. These are forecast to moderate steady through the mid-forecast period shifting to moderate surpluses across most of northern Europe in the December through February 2018 time frame. A pocket of exceptional surpluses in eastern Romania persist throughout the forecast, moderating slightly in early 2018.

Africa: Severe to exceptional water deficit conditions are expected to continue in the desert regions of the northern nations, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, northern Niger, and northern Sudan. Gabon, Botswana and Madagascar are also expected to experience exceptional deficit conditions in the near term. Surpluses in Tanzania may shift southward in the out months entering early 2018. While conditions moderate across sub-Saharan Africa, there are indications that moderate to severe deficits may develop across the Sahel and northern Chad and Sudan in the December through February 2018 period.

Middle East: Exceptional water deficits spanning the Arabian Peninsula are expected to continue through November affecting southern Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States, all of Yemen, and most of Oman. Conditions are expected to moderate in early 2018. Moderate to exceptional surpluses in northern Iraq extending into Iran should subside by December. Exceptional surpluses in south central Iran are expected to persist through the forecast period before moderating between December and February 2018. A pocket of exceptional surplus in central Oman persists throughout the forecast period into 2018.

Central Asia and Russia: Widespread pockets of exceptional water surplus conditions will continue across central Russia and northern and southern Kazakhstan for much of the forecast period, moderating towards early 2018. Increased flows are expected in the Ob and Volga River basins. Recent exceptional deficits across northern Russia may retreat somewhat to the northern regions of Krasnoyarsk Krais. Moderate deficits are forecast to develop over much of Turkestan and Uzbekistan from June through November before moderating in early 2018.

South Asia: In the June through August forecast period conditions are largely moderate across the sub-continent. Moderate to severe water deficits may develop in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand in the north of India and Tamil Nadu in the south. Surplus flows are expected in the Indus River and moderate to severe surpluses may persist over Bangladesh. Conditions moderate in the mid forecast period though surpluses may develop in Jammu & Kashmir September through February 2018 and exceptional deficits may develop in south and central Gujarat in the final forecast period extending into 2018.

Southeast Asia and the Pacific: Much of the region has experienced exceptional water surplus conditions in the most recent observations. These moderate in the near-term forecast and subside completely September through February 2018. Recently observed exceptional deficits in Cambodia and Papua New Guinea subside during the June through August period. In the December through February 2018 forecast period deficits may emerge over mainland Malaysia and coastal Myanmar.

East Asia: Mixed conditions across East Asia are expected to continue over the next three months with moderate water deficits in China’s southern provinces of Guizhou and Guangxi persisting throughout the forecast period. Deficits on the Korean peninsula may shift from the vicinity of Inchon and Seoul to cover the majority of North Korea. Northeastern China is expected to develop severe to exceptional deficits that may intensify by the December through February 2018 period. Surpluses are indicated in the near-term for western Tibet but moderating over the extended forecast.

Australia: Widespread extreme water deficits spanning the middle of the country are expected to subside in the June through August forecast period. Deficits will persist in the Darwin region of the Northern Territory, on Tasmania, and in the southwestern extents of Western Australia through November. Recent surplus conditions in northern Western Australia, east of Darwin, and along the central Queensland coast are expected persist through November. In the December through February 2018 forecast period conditions are forecast to normalize with the exception of moderate deficits south of Darwin and in the Perth region of Western Australia.

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