Table 1 Information on all main driver variable groups and their respectively sub-categories included in this study.

Driver variable (abbreviation; unit)^a

Dataset

Dataset resolution

Source

Temperature (T, °C)

CRU TS4.03

Globally gridded (0.5°), at monthly temporal resolution (1980–2010)

https://catalogue.ceda.ac.uk/uuid/10d3e3640f004c578403419aac167d82

Precipitation (P; m month⁻¹)

PCR-GLOBWB 2⁷³

Globally gridded (5×5 arc-minute), at monthly temporal resolution (1980–2010)

https://www.geosci-model-dev.net/11/2429/2018/

Potential evapotranspiration (PET; m month⁻¹)

PCR-GLOBWB 2

Same as above

Same as above

Actual evapotranspiration (AET; m month⁻¹)

PCR-GLOBWB 2

Same as above

Same as above

Evaporative ratio (−): (i) PET/P and (ii) AET/P

Estimated from P, PET, AET

Same as above

Same as above

Discharge (Q; m³ sec⁻¹)

PCR-GLOBWB 2

Same as above

Same as above

Sectoral water withdrawal (m month⁻¹): (i) irrigation (Irr. ww), (ii) non-irrigation sectors (domestic, industrial and livestock combined), (Non-irr. ww)

PCR-GLOBWB 2

Same as above

https://www.geosci-model-dev.net/11/2429/2018/

Return flows (m month⁻¹) for: (i) irrigation (Irr. rf) (ii) non-irrigation sectors (Non-irr. rf; sum of domestic, industrial and livestock sectors)

PCR-GLOBWB 2

Same as above

Same as above

Dams: (i) total dam capacity (Dam storage; Mm³), (ii) number (Nr. Dams; −) (iii) ratio of dam capacity to sub-basin area (Norm. dam storage; −), (iv) ratio of dam area to sub-basin area (Norm. dam area; −)

Global Reservoir and Dam (GRanD), v1^74,75

Global coverage

https://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/

Land-use (m²): (i) Total cropland area (Tot. cropland) and (ii) Ratio irrigated area to sub-basin area (Norm. irr. area)

(i) NOAA-HYDE^76,77, (ii) MIRCA2000⁷⁸

(i) Globally gridded (0.5°) at annual temporal resolution (1980–2010), (ii) Globally gridded (0.5°) at year 2000

(i) https://data.nodc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/iso?id=gov.noaa.ncdc:C00814#

(ii) https://www.uni-frankfurt.de/45218023/MIRCA

Fertiliser application (tons) of: (i) Nitrogen (N. total) (ii) Phosphorous (P. total) and (iii) Total (sum of (i) and (ii); Tot. Fert.)

Nitrogen and phosphorus use for global agriculture production during 1900-2013⁷⁹

Global gridded (0.5°), monthly resolution 1980–2010

10.1594/PANGAEA.863323

Soil salinity (dS m⁻¹) of (i) top layer (0–20 cm; EC top soil), (ii) sub soil layer (20–40 cm; EC sub soil) and (iii) its average (EC soil aver.)

WISE30sec⁸⁰

Globally gridded, at 30 arc-seconds

https://data.isric.org/

Elevation (m.a.s.l.)

Void-filled, hydrologically corrected DEM

Globally gridded, at 15 arc-sec resolution

https://www.hydrosheds.org/

(i) Actual distance from coast (Dist. coast; km), (ii) Relative distance from coast (Rel. dist. coast; −)

(i) Coastline vector map from Natural Earth, (ii) calculated from (i) and elevation

Global coverage

https://www.naturalearthdata.com