5 Free GIS Data Sources for Environmental Analysis

Environmental analysis relies heavily on high-quality spatial data. Fortunately, there are numerous authoritative sources that provide free, global datasets for conservation, climate, and land-use planning.

1. USGS Earth Explorer (Elevation & Land Cover)

The USGS provides the National Land Cover Database (NLCD) and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) elevation data. It is the go-to source for US-based environmental studies.

• Best for: US land cover, high-resolution DEMs
• Format: GeoTIFF

2. Global Forest Watch (Forest Change)

Provided by the World Resources Institute, this platform offers near real-time data on deforestation, forest fires, and land use change globally.

• Best for: Deforestation tracking, tree cover loss
• Format: GeoTIFF, Shapefile, GeoJSON

3. Protected Planet (Conservation Boundaries)

The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) provides the most comprehensive dataset on terrestrial and marine protected areas.

• Best for: Conservation planning, biodiversity analysis
• Format: Shapefile, GeoPackage

4. HydroSHEDS (Hydrology)

Developed by WWF, HydroSHEDS provides hydrographic data, including river networks and watershed boundaries, at a global scale.

• Best for: Watershed analysis, flood modeling
• Format: Shapefile, GeoTIFF

5. Copernicus Open Access Hub (Climate & Atmosphere)

The European Space Agency provides Sentinel satellite data, including Sentinel-5P for air quality and Sentinel-3 for sea and land surface temperatures.

• Best for: Climate change, air quality, oceanography
• Format: NetCDF, GeoTIFF

Summary

These five platforms cover the vast majority of environmental data needs. By integrating these datasets into your GIS, you can build robust models for conservation, climate resilience, and land management.