Introduction |
Methodology |
Results |
Quality assessment |
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Introduction
A new FAO land cover product: the "Global Land Cover-SHARE (GLC-SHARE)" has been
just launched. It brings global land cover data under one roof for the first time
and represents the most-reliable global view of planetary land cover assembled
to-date.
This new product collects previously scattered and unharmonized land cover
information from around the globe into one centralized database, marking
a major improvement in information regarding the physical characteristics of the
Earth's surface.
Up to now, one of the major challenges for countries and organizations was to identify,
measure and record efficiently a good global overview of land cover. The GLC-SHARE database
has been:
- compiled with data pulled from multiple sources;
- quality controlled and harmonized using internationally accepted
definitions and standards;
- produced to bring a wealth of country-level information into one
consolidated dataset spanning the entire planet.
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.
