Africa: Water deficits forecast to increase across the Sahel

Africa: Water deficits forecast to increase across the Sahel

The forecast through April indicates that water deficits will downgrade in the southern half of the continent, becoming primarily moderate across the central breadth and mild in the south. Deficits in the north will increase and intensify, with moderate to extreme deficits in the Sahara and deficits reaching exceptional intensity in parts of the Sahel and into western Ethiopia. Intense deficits will linger in Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. Surpluses will persist in western Tanzania.

Europe: Exceptional water deficits persist in Finland & Latvia

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.

Canada: Deficits persist in Gatineau River Watershed QC

Canada: Deficits persist in Gatineau River Watershed QC

The forecast through April indicates exceptional water deficits across Quebec from Hudson Bay into central Labrador, and exceptional deficits in the Ottawa-Gatineau region, northern New Brunswick, and around Fortune Bay on the Island of Newfoundland. Moderate to extreme deficits will persist along Ontario’s eastern border; surpluses are forecast around Toronto. Intense deficits are expected in southern Saskatchewan and the Middle and Upper Reaches of the Athabasca River in Alberta. Surpluses are forecast in southern British Columbia and severe deficits in southern Vancouver Island.

Australia & New Zealand: Intense water deficits will persist in Tasmania

Australia & New Zealand: Intense water deficits will persist in Tasmania

The forecast through April indicates that the intense water deficits that have dominated many parts of Australia in prior months will nearly disappear. However, severe to exceptional deficits will persist in Tasmania; along Victoria’s coast; in northwestern New South Wales and the eastern portion of the Lake Eyre drainage basin; and in the Blackwood River region in the tip of Western Australia.

ISciences Worldwide Water Watch List 15 February 2019

ISciences Worldwide Water Watch List 15 February 2019

Regions forecast to have significant water deficits for the 12-month period from November 2018 through October 2019 include: Quebec (Canada), Finland, Latvia, Somalia, Angola, Iran, Thailand, Cambodia, and Australia. Areas with a forecast of significant water surplus include: Kansas and Texas (US), Paraguay, Uruguay, Syria, Tanzania, and China. This Watch List is based on ISciences Water Security Indicator Model (WSIM) run on 8 February 2019.