Global Hydrological Status and Outlook System (HydroSOS)

The Challenge

Globally, hydrological variability poses one of the greatest threats to the world's population. There are an increasing number of people at risk from water-related hazards and rapidly growing demands on water resources. However, there is currently no global system which is capable of assessing the current status of surface and groundwater systems or predicting how they will change in the immediate future.

HydroSOS aims to provide the crucial global scale information needed to help water users understand the current status of the world's freshwater systems and adapt to changes by harnessing new technologies and manage water resources with science-based information.

The System

This important initiative, envisioned in the Commission for Hydrology and now overseen by the WMO Hydrological Assembly, has been approved by WMO Congress (see Resolution 25 of Cg-18) and intends to enable countries to provide an operational system capable of assessing the current hydrological status and its likely near-future outlook (sub-seasonal to seasonal time frames) for all areas of the globe.

Summary of activities under HydroSOS Implementation phase (2021- onwards)

2024:

Sep - HydroSOS Technical Development Team Meeting
Jul - Inclusion of Outlast Pilot Product on drought
Jul - HydroSOS Github repository launched (updated continuously)
May - Upgrade of the HydroSOS Portal
Inclusion of HydroSOS methodology in Central America RHOF & in Uruguay’s Hydro bulletins
Development of global streamflow products (GloFAS, SMHI) – in progress
Development of methodologies for streamflow outlooks – in progress
Inclusion of HydroSOS national products into the portal – in progress

2023:

Jun - World Meteorological Congress 19 (Cg-19):
- Approval of Regional HydroSOS Implementation Plans. For a summary prresentation, please click here.
- Presentation on country examples: Please click here.
- Presentation on overview and standard products: Please click here.
Mar - HydroSOS included as a WMO contribution to the Water Action Agenda.
Development of national streamflow status products and several capacity development activities (RA I, RA III, RA IV)