List of free satellite-based products and geospatial data on internet

Remote Sensing
GIS
This post updated regularly, so if you couldn’t find what you are looking for, comeback later or send me an email
Author

Benny Istanto

Published

May 16, 2017

This post updated regularly, so if you couldn’t find what you are looking for, comeback later or send me an email!

Latest update: 3 Nov 2020

Decision making to response different type of hazards requires different information. So does datasets necessary for the analysis. The data and information may not be available in one single map. This list is intended to provide data options and its use for different contexts.

The data vary in accuracy, resolution, frequency of update, and geographic coverage. Data summary below mainly highlights the format, methods and technicalities (links to the sources provided). Full download of the datasets is available for most sources.

Baseline

An effective disaster management system requires collection of baseline data that is comprehensive, accurate, timely, and accessible. Without these characteristics, an effective, economical, and task- oriented disaster management system cannot be achieved. This handbook focuses on baseline data collection and impact calculation for specific disasters, which can be defined as the scope and nature of the overall informational resources needed to prepare for and respond to a variety of disasters. What is presently required is a clear understanding of the characteristics of current information resources, their functional capabilities, and their use for disaster management.

Boundaries

Population

Global mapping of population is rapidly growing in recent years. They are available at detailed spatial scales. The analysis is based on satellite or other geospatial data layers. The specifications of each map (data) widely differ. In order to get accurate population distributions, each data should be reconstructed and synchronized. Population data are necessary for the analysis of impacts of population growth, monitor population changes, and plan interventions.

Settlement

Climate

Precipitation

Many research institution are producing global satellite precipitation estimate, and mostly available for public. Most notably products are CHIRPS, TRMM, CMORPH, GPM and GSMaP.

Hydrographic

River

Natural Hazards

Fire Hotspot

OpenStreetMap

Physical

Landcover

Land cover maps represent spatial information on different types (classes) of physical coverage of the Earth’s surface, e.g. forests, grasslands, croplands, lakes, wetlands. Dynamic land cover maps include transitions of land cover classes over time and hence captures land cover changes. Land use maps contain spatial information on the arrangements, activities and inputs people undertake in a certain land cover type to produce, change or maintain it.

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