Experts unveil plans to develop an early warning system to help stem onset of drought

Predicting a 40% shortfall in water global water supply within ten years, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) is leading the implementation of an early warning system to enable countries to improve their water resource management.

The WMO with the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) have developed the Hydrological Status and Outlook System (HydroSOS) – a global monitoring and alert system – that will “help hydrological and meteorological organisations around the world generate and share high-quality information about groundwater, river flows, reservoirs, lakes, soil moisture in their respective countries and regions.” WMO approved the development of HydroSOS following a five-year pilot project led by UKCEH.

A key feature of the system, according to the WMO, will be its support of hydrological and meteorological organisations around the world in developing their capacity to generate and share high-quality information about their water resources.

WMO, and UKCEH, are asking scientists and funders across the world to come forward and collaborate to “enhance global capacity to monitor, predict and report water-related information for their respective countries and regions.”

Experts have predicted drought costs up to $8bn a year from losses in agricultural and related businesses, and damage from flooding is $80bn a year.