Key Resources for the Geography of Land Cover and Land Use Research Group
These platforms and databases are essential for conducting cutting-edge research on land use and land cover changes. They provide high-quality, accessible data and tools for geospatial analysis, climate modeling, and sustainable land planning.
1. Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS) – European Environment Agency
URL: https://land.copernicus.eu
Provides free, high-resolution land cover datasets for Europe and global datasets through the Copernicus Global Land Service. Supports land change analysis, environmental monitoring, and urban development planning.
2. USGS Earth Explorer – United States Geological Survey
URL: https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov
Offers access to multi-decadal satellite imagery from Landsat, MODIS, and Sentinel missions. Essential for time-series land cover analysis, urban sprawl detection, and desertification monitoring.
3. FAO GeoNetwork – Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
URL: https://www.fao.org/geonetwork
A repository of geospatial datasets related to land use, agriculture, soil, and natural resources. Supports studies on food security, rural land use, and sustainable agriculture.
4. Global Administrative Areas (GADM)
URL: https://gadm.org
Offers detailed administrative boundary shapefiles that are critical for integrating socio-political contexts into spatial land use analyses and regional planning studies.
5. Climate Data Store (CDS) – Copernicus Climate Change Service
URL: https://cds.climate.copernicus.eu
Hosts global climate datasets and projections, essential for modeling climate impacts on land use systems and adaptation planning.
6. Google Earth Engine (GEE)
URL: https://earthengine.google.com
A powerful cloud-based platform for processing large-scale satellite imagery and geospatial data. Facilitates AI/ML-based modeling, land cover classification, and dynamic change detection.
7. Global Urban Footprint (DLR)
URL: https://www.dlr.de/eoc/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-9628
Provides global urban land use data at very high resolution. Supports urban sprawl analysis, population distribution studies, and sustainable city planning.
8. SEDAC – Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (NASA)
URL: https://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu
Combines socioeconomic and environmental datasets, allowing researchers to link land use changes with population, poverty, and infrastructure development.
9. Royal Jordanian Geographic Center (RJGC)
URL:https://rjgc.gov.jo Offers high-resolution aerial photography, topographic maps, and national geospatial datasets. These resources are fundamental for spatial analysis, land cover classification, and creating detailed maps for urban and rural development studies.
10. Ministry of Agriculture – Jordan
URL: https://moa.gov.jo
Delivers data on land classification for agriculture, crop mapping, and land productivity. It supports research in rural land management, food security, and sustainable agriculture in the context of changing climate and economic pressures.
11. National Agricultural Research Center (NARC) - Jordan
Link: https://www.narc.gov.jo
Provides a rich collection of interactive maps and geospatial tools that support the analysis of land use, agricultural productivity, soil characteristics, and drought-prone areas.
These resources offer vital data, tools, and knowledge essential for the group's research on the interactions between land systems, economic transformation, and environmental sustainability. Integrating them into ongoing projects will enhance the group's analytical capacity and reinforce its regional and international collaborations.