abstract
- Understanding the global water flux is vital to comprehend different hydrological components of the planet. The precise quantification of the global water budget is important to understand the global water cycle. While the first attempts in closing the global water budget date back to the early 1900s, we still have not been able to comprehensively understand the global water cycle. The past few decades have witnessed significant interests among the researchers worldwide in understanding the global water budget considering various ecological, hydrological, and climatic parameters and using data from various sources, such as ground observations or satellite information. However, a certain degree of uncertainty still prevails in the global or regional models developed till date. Here, we discuss some recent advances in this context, taking into account continent-wise analyses of the various significant attempts made by different researchers in varying geographical conditions, and using different tools. These findings will eventually lead to deeper understanding and advancements in the existing approaches aiding in the closure of the global water budget. © 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.