Hydrological status and outlooks

Chapter 6. Water is critical for the sustenance of livelihoods, economic and social development, and the natural environment. With many parts of the world experiencing more variable hydrological conditions and more severe, and more frequent extremes, water resources management is increasingly critical for human and environmental well-being (Kundzewicz & Matczak, 2015). Hydrological status and outlook systems make use of current, historic, and forecast hydro-meteorological data to appraise current hydrological status in relation to that localities “normal”. This indicates the status of water resources, as well as whether the area may be susceptible to drought or flooding in the near future. Sub-seasonal to seasonal forecasting then enables assessments of whether current conditions are likely to get better or worse over the coming weeks and months. In this chapter, hydrological status and outlooks systems are presented as a critical tool for the long-term management of water resources, as well as risk planning, in India.