Description
This is a monthly dataset for the globe capturing forecasted water stress and abundance conditions using watershed-level classifications of streamflow values.
Technical Description
The Forecast Water Stress Risk product provides a comprehensive snapshot of forecasted current water stress and abundance in HydroSHEDS HydroBASINS Level 6 watersheds globally. It assesses water availability on a monthly basis through the analysis of modeled streamflow data. This product is designed to pinpoint watersheds experiencing either below or above normal streamflow conditions.
Normal conditions are represented by streamflow values which fall between the 25th and 75th monthly historical streamflow percentiles for the years 1991-2020. Streamflows below the 25th percentile for that month indicate below-normal conditions, signifying water stress within a watershed. Conversely, streamflows surpassing the 75th percentile for that month denote above-normal conditions, reflecting an abundance of water within the watershed. This data product makes use of the newer higher resolution GloFAS version 4 streamflow data.
By leveraging these data, the Current Water Stress product provides a nuanced understanding of water conditions, enabling the identification of regions facing stress or abundance in their water resources.
The Water Stress Forecast is issued on the second day of each calendar month and is valid through the end of the month.
This dataset contains the following fields:
- water_class: The water stress classification for each watershed. Values are integers from -5 to 5 representing the following classes: Very High Stress (-5), High Stress (-4), Moderate Stress (-3), Low Stress (-2), Very Low Stress (-1), Normal Conditions (0), Very Low Abundance (1), Low Abundance (2), Moderate Abundance (3), High Abundance (4), Very High Abundance (5).