The forecast through June indicates that widespread water surpluses in India will shrink leaving nearly normal conditions in the east. Surpluses will persist, however, in many regions including central India, the Far North, and the Gangetic Plain; and, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Deficits will emerge in India’s Far Northeast.
South Asia: Widespread water surplus will persist
South Asia: Intense water deficits forecast for Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, & Karnataka
The forecast through April indicates that, while exceptional water deficits in Gujarat and in the south will downgrade, widespread deficits of varying intensity are forecast in western and southern India. Surpluses will re-emerge in Uttar Pradesh in the western Gangetic Plain. Other regions with surpluses include Mizoram (India), Bangladesh, Nepal, rivers in northern Pakistan, and around Kabul, Afghanistan.
South Asia: Exceptional water deficits forecast for Gujarat & Karnataka
The forecast through March indicates intense water deficits in western and southern India with exceptional deficits in Gujarat and Karnataka. Surpluses are forecast for Uttar Pradesh into western Nepal, and in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir. Exceptional deficits are forecast in southeastern Pakistan, moderate deficits in the southwest, and surpluses in the northeast. Surpluses are expected in Bangladesh and will be exceptional in Chittagong Division reaching into Mizoram, India.
ISciences Worldwide Water Watch List 8 February 2019
Regions forecast to have significant water deficits for the 12-month period from October 2018 through September 2019 include: Quebec (Canada), Finland, Venezuela, Somalia, South Africa, India, Thailand, Cambodia, and Australia. Areas with a forecast of significant water surplus include: Texas (US), Paraguay, Uruguay, Tanzania, and China. This Watch List is based on ISciences Water Security Indicator Model (WSIM) run on 1 February 2019.