South Asia

South Asia: Water deficits forecast for Tamil Nadu, southern Andhra Pradesh, coastal Maharashtra

South Asia: Water deficits forecast for Tamil Nadu, southern Andhra Pradesh, coastal Maharashtra

Water conditions in the region are forecast to improve considerably in the next three months. In general, deficits in India are expected to downgrade in intensity though severe to extreme deficits are forecast in the south, affecting Tamil Nadu, southern Andhra Pradesh, and coastal Maharashtra. Deficits will diminish in Pakistan as well. Moderate to exceptional deficits are forecast for western Afghanistan. Exceptional surpluses will persist in Jammu and Kashmir, and moderate to extreme surpluses in eastern Afghanistan, northeastern Pakistan, and northeastern Bangladesh. Surpluses are also forecast along the Kali Gandaki River in Nepal. Overall, deficits in the region will continue to diminish after July.

South Asia: Severe to exceptional water deficits forecast for central & southern India

South Asia: Severe to exceptional water deficits forecast for central & southern India

Severe to exceptional water deficits are forecast to emerge April through June across central and southern India. Deficits will also emerge near Karachi, Pakistan and will continue to emerge in western Pakistan. Surpluses are forecast in Jammu and Kashmir, eastern Afghanistan, and along the northern Indus River in Pakistan. From July through September deficits in India will decrease in intensity but increase in extent as deficits emerge in the Chambal River watershed. Severe to extreme deficits will persist in Madhya Pradesh. Moderate to severe deficits are also forecast to emerge throughout Bangladesh. 

South Asia: Water deficits forecast in Gujarat, surpluses in eastern Afghanistan

South Asia: Water deficits forecast in Gujarat, surpluses in eastern Afghanistan

The March through May forecast indicates some relief from water deficit conditions for many parts of India. However, severe to extreme deficits are forecast to persist in Gujarat and moderate deficits are forecast in Uttarakhand, southern India, and Sri Lanka. Surpluses ranging from moderate to exceptional are forecast for the eastern Ganges Basin, the eastern two-thirds of Nepal, and Bangladesh. Surpluses are also expected along the northern tributaries of the Indus River in Pakistan and in eastern Afghanistan.

South Asia: Water deficits continue to emerge in India, surpluses in NE Afghanistan

South Asia: Water deficits continue to emerge in India, surpluses in NE Afghanistan

Though the extent of exceptional deficits in southern India is forecast to diminish February through April, deficits will emerge across the country’s mid-section in places which, in the prior three months, had seen normal or surplus water conditions. Exceptional deficits are forecast for Gujarat and northeast India; and in Karachi, Pakistan. Surpluses are forecast along major rivers in northeastern Pakistan, throughout Afghanistan, and in eastern Nepal. From May through July deficits in India will diminish considerably in severity except in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Surpluses will continue to emerge in Afghanistan and may be exceptional in the Upper Helmand Basin.

South Asia: Exceptional water deficits Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Odisha, & Gujarat

South Asia: Exceptional water deficits Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Odisha, & Gujarat

The forecast for India through March includes widespread exceptional deficits in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Odisha, and Gujarat, with deficits of varying severity for much of the remainder of the country. Surpluses will persist in northwest Jharkhand, West Bengal, Nepal, and Bangladesh. After May deficits in India will diminish considerably, though severe to exceptional deficits are forecast for northwest Gujarat and across the border into Pakistan, and in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.