[OSGeo Africa] Global Land Cover SHARE (GLC-SHARE)

[Aslam Parker]

FYI
>>>>>>
Dear Colleagues,
 
We are pleased to announce that the Global Land Cover SHARE (GLC-SHARE)
database is launched by FAO on March 17, 2014.
http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/216144/icode/
 
The Global Land Cover-SHARE (GLC-SHARE) is a new land cover database at
the global level created by FAO, Land and Water Division in partnership
and with contribution from various partners and institutions. It
provides a set of eleven major thematic land cover layers resulting
by a combination of “best available” high resolution national, regional
and/or sub-national land cover databases. The database is produced with
a resolution of 30 arc-second (~1sqkm) . The GLC-SHARE 2012 Beta-Release
1.0 is published by FAO in 2014. Complete free and open access
to the data and metadata products are available at FAO GeoNetwork
www.fao.org/geonetwork It is created to respond at the increasing need
for reliable information on the global extent and distribution of the
major land cover types at the global level.
 
The major benefit of the GLC-SHARE product is its capacity to preserve
the available land cover information at the country level obtained by
spatial and multi-temporal source data, integrating them with the best
synthesis of global datasets. Many efforts have been carried out to
describe the cover data at the global level. Some of them utilize Medium
Resolution Satellite products (e.g. MERIS, MODIS) with a pixel
resolution of 250-300 m. The results are widely applied in many
environmental applications worldwide. While there have been many
attempts to describe land cover data at the global level, a few of them
offer a highly variable level of accuracy; in particular, low
approximation exists, for example, in the definition of cropland and
tree extension, especially in specific areas of the world. On the other
hand, the mapping efforts at national level have been executed by local
mapping agencies and/or national projects at a more detailed scale, with
legends and land cover mapping methodologies differing widely. GLC-SHARE
makes a huge effort to bring together these valuable datasets available
worldwide, offering multiple benefits and aiming at enabling a platform
for partnerships and contributions by all.
 
The approach implemented is based on the utilization of the Land Cover
Classification System (LCCS) for harmonization of the various available
land cover databases. Available land cover legends are translated using
the land cover classifier elements to assign the most adequate
classifier values and ranges at an intermediate step, followed by a
second iteration where they are converted into the major land cover
classes by assigning the class, class unit, minimum, maximum, range and
best estimate values to each land cover class. The results are reported
at 30
arc-second grid cell as a percentage land cover class at a successive
step. The outputs make use of thematic and spatial high resolution land
cover databases for various areas globally (up to 66 % of the total
surface area) is covered by high resolution datasets. Where national or
sub-national land cover data are not available, the information refers
to the global datasets. The preliminary results are validated and
calibrated. The product is by definition available at various accuracy
levels related by the original data.
 
The validation phase enriches the reliability of the final product. It
can be considered a crucial and essential phase obtainable using the
high resolution images available and the effort of experts, even if is
the most time-consuming part the production chain. The procedure steps
can be cyclically repeated to include any new available databases in the
near future. It is desirable that the plethora of high resolution
databases is constantly increased to ensure better information and fill
the current gaps. GLC-SHARE is developed using active and passive
participatory approach of the main stakeholders. It makes use of
available land cover databases prepared by national and regional eusing standards and classification systems. GLC-SHARE fosters active
involvement of the main stakeholders in the process and enables
application of crowd sourcing in obtaining collaborations from the
national and international experts. It is compliant with major
international
forum recommendations that the data is compiled by countries using their
own requirements which are translated and harmonized using standard
definitions.
 
Applications of the database include assessment, monitoring and
reporting of the distribution of the major land cover classes, land
suitability evaluation, land accounting, environmental accounting,
climate change impact assessments in productivity and yields, land use
planning
and sustainable development addressing food security and environmental
threats.
 
The GLC-SHARE has been initially prepared to improve the GAEZ land cover
layer information; however, the multi-benefit effects for the global
scientific community can be recognized. The product improves the
information needed for assessment of natural resources, land and water
global data, but also for food security purposes, agricultural
production and land management. It can be considered the baseline for
global climate models, land use and land cover change analysis, as well
as forestry analysis and assessment. By improving the accuracy of the
land cover baseline the quality and reliability of outputs will be
propagated into the direct and indirect outputs.
 
Related links to access the information about the database, the
methodology, paper and download the database are provided on below.
FAO Media - Press release
http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/216144/icode/
 
FAO Media - Video Interview
http://www.fao.org/news/audio-video/detail-audio/en/?uid=10403
 
Website on GLC-SHARE
http://www.glcn.org/databases/lc_glcshare_en.jsp
 
Download GLC-SHARE database on FAO GeoNetwork
http://www.fao.org/geonetwork/srv/en/main.home?uuid=ba4526fd-cdbf-4028-a1bd-5a559c4bff38
 
 
Paper on GLC-SHARE
http://www.glcn.org/downs/prj/glcshare/GLC_SHARE_beta_v1.0_2014.pdf
 
GLC-SHARE flyer
http://www.glcn.org/downs/prj/glcshare/GLC_SHARE_flyer.pdf
 
GLC-SHARE poster
http://www.glcn.org/downs/prj/glcshare/GLC_SHARE_poster_nov2013.pdf
 
GAEZ news
http://www.fao.org/nr/gaez/newsevents/detail/en/c/217127/
 
 
Feel free to contact me for any questions you might have.
 
Best regards,
John Latham


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