Guest Editorial: Special Issue on Global Hydrological Datasets for Local Water Management Applications

The global water resources and flows are under pressure due to climate impacts and human interventions such as hydro-power dam operations and water abstractions for agriculture, industry, tourism and domestic use (Haddeland et al. 2014). In many areas the per-capita water availability is decreasing due to climate and demographic changes (Faures 2006). Projected climate change will aggravate hydrological extremes, notably floods and droughts (Patz et al. 2005), which in combination with continued population growth may enhance water scarcity (Hagemann et al. 2013). Management of water resources will become an increasing challenge in the twenty-first century, especially in those areas where large variations in the water availability occur. …