Coherent streamflow variability in Monsoon Asia over the past eight
centuries---links to oceanic drivers
Abstract
The Monsoon Asia region is home to ten of the world’s biggest rivers,
supporting the lives of 1.7 billion people who rely on streamflow for
water, energy, and food. Yet, a synoptic understanding of
multi-centennial streamflow variability for this region is lacking. To
fill this gap, we produce the first large scale streamflow
reconstruction over Monsoon Asia (48 stations in 16 countries), spanning
the past eight centuries. In making this reconstruction, we develop a
novel automated, climate-informed, and dynamic reconstruction framework
that is skillful for 46/48 stations. We show that streamflow in Monsoon
Asia is spatially coherent, owing to common drivers from the Pacific,
Indian, and Atlantic Oceans. We also show that these drivers exert their
greatest influence over the Mekong and Chao Phraya basins. We suggest
that future water management in the region should be coordinated between
basins, taking into account the states of the oceans.