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I. Global Freshwater Availability Trends

Terrestrial water storage, as captured by NASA GRACE mission, includes groundwater, soil moisture, snow and ice, surface water, and wet biomass, expressed as an equivalent water height. Jaweed contribution to this work is data processing, visualization and web deployment. These data are derived from NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission (2002–2016), provides a global gridded representation of freshwater availability trends at a 0.5-degree spatial resolution.

Data Source: Rodell, M., J. S. Famiglietti, D. N. Wiese, J. T. Reager, H. K. Beaudoing, F. W. Landerer and M.-H. Lo. 2019. Trends in Global Freshwater Availability from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE). Palisades NY: NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center. https://doi.org/10.7927/H4TT4P2C. Accessed 24 03 2024.

II. Freshwater Shortage and Armed Conflict

This plot visualizes the relationship between armed conflict and freshwater availability trends worldwide from 2002 to 2016. It overlays conflict data on freshwater trends derived from NASA's GRACE mission.

Understanding this relationship is crucial, as water scarcity can contribute to geopolitical tensions, resource competition, and humanitarian crises. While the plot does not establish a direct causal link, it provides valuable insights into how changing water availability may intersect with conflict dynamics, helping researchers, policymakers, and global security analysts assess emerging risks related to water and food security.

Data Source: Rodell, M., J. S. Famiglietti, D. N. Wiese, J. T. Reager, H. K. Beaudoing, F. W. Landerer and M.-H. Lo. 2019. Trends in Global Freshwater Availability from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE). Palisades NY: NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center. https://doi.org/10.7927/H4TT4P2C. Accessed 24 03 2024.

Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED); www.acleddata.com. Accessed 24 03 2024.

“NO MAN EVER STEPS IN THE SAME RIVER TWICE, FOR IT’S NOT THE SAME RIVER AND HE’S NOT THE SAME MAN.”

HERACLITUS - 6th BC

AI/Earth Observation/Environmental Systems/Hydrology/Geospatial Engineering

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