Research Manuscript:Global Buffering of Extreme Drought by Mountain Water Towers ; Zenodo data repository:Hydroclimatic Data, Drought Characteristics and Socioeconomic Exposure across Global Water Tower Units (2001–2024)

This repository contains the processed datasets supporting the study “Global Buffering of Extreme Drought by Mountain Water Towers”, conducted across 78 global Water Tower Units (WTUs) during 2001–2024. The datasets provide hydroclimatic variables, standardized drought indices, drought characteristics, seasonal drought analyses and socioeconomic exposure estimates used to investigate the influence of snowmelt and glacier melt on mountain water availability and downstream extreme drought exposure. The datasets are organized into five main categories: Hydroclimatic parameters: Monthly and annual precipitation, rainfall, snowmelt, glacier melt and total melt contributions across 78 WTUs. Monthly datasets are provided in NetCDF format, while annual WTU-level summaries are provided in CSV format. Drought indices and characteristics: Monthly three-month Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI-3) and Rainfall, Snowmelt and Glacier Melt Standardized Anomaly (RSG-SA-3), best-fit probability distribution information for RSG-SA, monthly and seasonal drought characteristics, and regime-wise differences in seasonal drought conditions between the two indices. Case-specific analyses: Spring and summer drought conditions and associated meltwater anomalies, including detailed analyses for 20 selected WTUs. These datasets support the investigation of seasonal differences in cryospheric contributions and their influence on drought development. Socioeconomic exposure: WTU-level differences in extreme drought occurrence between SPI and RSG-SA, together with GDP and population exposure estimates under both drought indices. Socioeconomic exposure estimates use fixed 2020 population and GDP data to assess differences associated with drought conditions identified during 2001–2024. GDP and population exposure analyses cover 75 and 76 WTUs, respectively, depending on data availability. Uncertainty and robustness assessment: WTU-level and global bootstrap confidence intervals for differences in extreme-drought occurrence and frequency-weighted GDP and population exposure between SPI and RSG-SA. Supporting datasets include paired monthly drought indices and socioeconomic baselines, circular and non-circular bootstrap comparisons, alternative block-length and drought-threshold sensitivity analyses, leave-one-WTU-out results, bootstrap realizations and autocorrelation diagnostics.