Faiz et al. (2026) Baseflow dominates river flow during droughts across the global streamflow network

Identification

• Journal: Communications Earth & Environment
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-10-05
• Authors: Muhammad Abrar Faiz, Liangliang Zhang, Dong Liu, Qiang Fu, Mo Li, Yongqiang Zhang, Ning Ma, Xiaochen Qi, Tianxiao Li, Song Cui, Faisal Baig, Farah Naz, Trinh Thi Viet Ha
• DOI: 10.1038/s43247-026-04107-5

Research Groups

• College of Hydraulic Science & Engineering, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China.
• Joint International Research Laboratory of Habitat Health of Black Soil in Cold Regions, Ministry of Education, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China.
• Key Laboratory of Effective Utilization of Agricultural Water Resources of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China.
• Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Water Conservancy Engineering in Cold Region, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China.
• Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Related Land Surface Processes, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
• Research Center for Eco-Environment Protection of Songhua River Basin, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China.
• Desert Environment Research Center, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
• Department of Civil Engineering, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering & Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan.
• College of Economics and Management, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China.

Short Summary

This study investigates the role of baseflow in sustaining river flow during droughts across the global streamflow network. The results show that baseflow dominates river flow during droughts, with a median drought-sustained fraction (DSF) of 0.821 and an additive baseflow buffering index (BBI) of 0.054.

Objective

• Investigate the role of baseflow in sustaining river flow during droughts across the global streamflow network.
• Quantify the drought-sustained fraction (DSF) and additive baseflow buffering index (BBI) for different regions and climate scenarios.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Global, with a focus on the streamflow network across multiple continents.
• Temporal Scale: Daily to decadal timescales, with a focus on drought periods.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: CMIP6 simulations, TerraClimate, ERA5 reanalysis, and hydrograph separation techniques.
• Data sources: Global streamflow gauge observations, terrestrial water storage information from GRACE, and meteorological data from ERA5 and SPEI datasets.

Main Results

• The median DSF was 0.821, indicating that baseflow remained the dominant component of streamflow during low-flow periods.
• The additive BBI was 0.054, indicating a shift in partitioning rather than an increase in absolute baseflow discharge.
• Regional time-series diagnostics showed that drought indicators are interconnected but non-synchronous across regions.

Contributions

• This study provides a diagnostic tool for low-flow resilience and evaluates whether current Earth System Models adequately represent the storage-release processes critical for hydrological drought management.
• The results highlight the importance of considering the role of baseflow in sustaining river flow during droughts, particularly in regions with high aridity and limited groundwater recharge.

Funding

• This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 52179215), the Heilongjiang Province Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Water Conservancy Engineering in Cold Region (Grant No. HJ2021001), and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Strategic Priority Research Program (Grant No. XDA2006020203).

Citation

@article{Faiz2026Baseflow,
  author = {Faiz, Muhammad Abrar and Zhang, Liangliang and Liu, Dong and Fu, Qiang and Li, Mo and Zhang, Yongqiang and Ma, Ning and Qi, Xiaochen and Li, Tianxiao and Cui, Song and Baig, Faisal and Naz, Farah and Ha, Trinh Thi Viet},
  title = {Baseflow dominates river flow during droughts across the global streamflow network},
  journal = {Communications Earth & Environment},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1038/s43247-026-04107-5},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-04107-5}
}