Abstract
Abstract. Open access geospatial data represent a range of metrics relevant to global human population mapping at fine spatial scales. Detailed and contemporary spatial datasets that accurately describe population distributions are vital in order to measure impacts of population growth, monitor change, and plan interventions. To construct such datasets the harmonisation of geospatial data layers is a prerequisite because layer specifications differ widely. To this end the WorldPop Project is producing an open access archive of 3 and 30 arc-second (~ 100 m and ~ 1 km, respectively) resolution gridded data in a predominantly open source environment, using OSGEO4W utilities. Five tiled raster datasets form the basis of the archive: (i) Viewfinder Panoramas topography clipped to CIESIN national level administrative coastlines; (ii) a matching ISO 3166 country identification grid; (iii) country area; (iv) pixel area; (v) and slope layer. Further layers will include transport networks, landcover, urban extent, nightlights, climate, travel time to major cities, forest stand change, livestock densities, vegetation indices, and waterways. We here describe the base datasets and the production methodology in development. The alpha version of the archive can be downloaded both from the WorldPop Dataverse Repository and the WorldPop Project website. The improved and expanded beta version of the archive is in development for release next year, and will offer significantly improved standardisation of country boundaries, and inland water boundaries (forthcoming), to global census unit data.
Highlights
Detailed and contemporary spatial datasets that accurately describe human population distribution can support the measurement of the impacts of population growth, the monitoring of changes, environmental and health applications, and the planning of interventions (Tatem, Noor, von Hagen, Di Gregorio, & Hay, 2007)
The topography data consists of the Viewfinder Panoramas dataset, which is primarily US NASA Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data (US NASA, 2015) collected in the year 2000, with amendment and correction by the dataset developer, Jonathan de Ferranti
The Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) country ID data are provided as raster tiles in geo-tiff format, gridded to Viewfinder Panoramas tile extents, with cell values corresponding to the three digit numerical ISO 3166 country code standard
Summary
Detailed and contemporary spatial datasets that accurately describe human population distribution can support the measurement of the impacts of population growth, the monitoring of changes, environmental and health applications, and the planning of interventions (Tatem, Noor, von Hagen, Di Gregorio, & Hay, 2007). To support population mapping applications in the future there is a need for standardised grid definitions, standardised (contiguous) country boundaries and coastlines, and covariate layers representing different time periods that match these and that are regularly updated - all created at fine spatial resolutions (Lloyd, Sorichetta, & Tatem, 2017). To begin to meet such needs, the WorldPop Project is producing a beta version open access archive of 3 and 30 arcsecond spatial resolution gridded datasets. The methodology for base and further datasets will be explained in full in a forthcoming paper on the topic
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