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.