Global Water Monitor 2023, Summary Report

Van Dijk, A. I. J. M.; Beck, H. E.; Boergens, Eva; de Jeu, R. A. M.; Dorigo, W. A.; Frederikse, T.; Güntner, A.; Haas, Julian; Hou, J.; Preimesberger, W.; Rahman, J.; Rozas Larraondo, P. R.; van der Schalie, R.

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Global Water Monitor 2023, Summary Report

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Van Dijk, A. I. J. M.
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Beck, H. E.
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/persons/resource/boergens

Boergens, Eva
1.3 Earth System Modelling, 1.0 Geodesy, Departments, GFZ Publication Database, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum;

de Jeu, R. A. M.
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Dorigo, W. A.
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Frederikse, T.
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/persons/resource/guentner

Güntner, A.
4.4 Hydrology, 4.0 Geosystems, Departments, GFZ Publication Database, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum;

/persons/resource/jhaas

Haas, Julian
4.4 Hydrology, 4.0 Geosystems, Departments, GFZ Publication Database, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum;

Hou, J.
External Organizations;

Preimesberger, W.
External Organizations;

Rahman, J.
External Organizations;

Rozas Larraondo, P. R.
External Organizations;

van der Schalie, R.
External Organizations;

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Citation

Van Dijk, A. I. J. M., Beck, H. E., Boergens, E., de Jeu, R. A. M., Dorigo, W. A., Frederikse, T., Güntner, A., Haas, J., Hou, J., Preimesberger, W., Rahman, J., Rozas Larraondo, P. R., van der Schalie, R. (2024): Global Water Monitor 2023, Summary Report, Global Water Monitor Consortium, 51 p.

Cite as: https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_5025841

Abstract

Record temperatures across most of the world in 2023 also affected water resources and water-related hazards. Heatwaves contributed to deepening and new droughts in South America and Canada. There were many extreme rainfall events, including several cyclones. The global water cycle in 2023 was influenced by a change in circulation and ocean water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean from La Niña to El Niño conditions but against a backdrop of overall increasing sea surface temperatures due to global warming. The higher temperatures increase the strength and rainfall intensity associated with storm systems such as tropical cyclones. There were a relatively large number of such events in 2023, and the human and economic toll was large. The year started with continuing heavy rain and flooding in the Philippines and the western USA. In February, cyclonic storm systems hit Madagascar, Malawi and Mozambique in southeast Africa, while heavy rain caused floods and landslides in southeastern Brazil. In April, southeast Asia was hit by a large-scale heatwave, followed by cyclone Mocha in Myanmar. The first half of the year also saw extremely dry conditions in northern Argentina and nearby regions and in southwestern Europe. In May, record dry conditions in northern Italy were abruptly ended by heavy rainfall and flooding. An extremely wet season in South Korea, India and Pakistan brought landslides and flooding between June and August, while in Canada, very dry and hot conditions caused a record wildfire activity. From July onwards, very dry and recurrent hot conditions across South America led to a rapidly developing drought in the Amazon basin that intensified during the second half of the year. In September, a Mediterranean cyclone or ‘medicane’ brought heavy rainfall to Greece and caused reservoir dams to fail in Libya, killing thousands. In November, several years of deepening drought in Somalia were interrupted by heavy rainfall and flooding, while nearby South Sudan largely remains in drought. The final weeks of 2023 brought severe storm systems with heavy rains and flooding to the northeast coast of Australia. At the start of 2024, the greatest risk of developing or intensifying drought appears to be in Central and South America (except southern Brazil and Uruguay), southern Africa and western Australia. Regions unlikely to develop drought for at least several months include the Sahel region and the Horn of Africa, northern Europe, India, China and southeast Asia, and southern Brazil and Uruguay.