Yohan Profile picture
Jan 24, 2025 8 tweets 3 min read Read on X
We can now easily access over 18,000 geospatial datasets instantly, for free.

Here's everything you need to know about the Geospatial Data Catalog:
Finding the right geospatial dataset can be incredibly frustrating.

We sift through Google Earth Engine, Humanitarian Data Exchange, etc, only to come up empty-handed.

We'll often conclude the dataset we need simply doesn’t exist.
So I was absolutely thrilled to discover the Geospatial Data Catalog.

It’s a new free tool that catalogs more than 18,000 (free) geospatial datasets.

Link: geospatial.communityImage
For each dataset, they provide info on the:

• Time-series
• Spatial resolution
• Dataset description
• Key variables of the dataset
• Link to the website so you can download the data Image
It was built by Rob Johnsen, who creates geospatial platforms for the World Bank.

It’s still in beta testing.

Rob says he's keen for any feedback or suggestions you have.

You can even add new datasets if you notice something missing: Image
The hope is that this tool becomes driven by the community.

We can:

• submit new datasets
• provide feedback on data descriptions, and
• help improve the discoverability of geospatial data.

This will help grow the size of the geospatial pie for all of us.
And if you like geospatial datasets, you might enjoy this post on geospatial GDP estimates:


And give us a follow @yohaniddawela for more breakdowns on geospatial topics.
Interested in getting early notice of tools like this?

Then subscribe to the Spatial Edge newsletter: .

I cover geospatial breakthroughs each Wednesday. yohan.soImage

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More from @yohaniddawela

Nov 28, 2025
Mapping an entire country’s agriculture typically requires massive computational resources.

However, researchers have just mapped one country's cropland in 16 hours for only $313.40.

Here's the breakdown: Image
A new preprint from researchers evaluates the utility of geospatial embeddings for cropland mapping in Togo: Image
So, what are these embeddings?

They are derived from Geospatial Foundation Models (GeoFMs).

The researchers focused on two specifically:

• Presto (low compute requirements)
• AlphaEarth (already generated globally)

These models compress complex sensor data into actionable features.
Read 11 tweets
Oct 23, 2025
5 South American countries just discovered they're wasting $15-23 billion on duplicate renewable energy infrastructure.

A new paper examines the solution: Image
A new study in Nature Communications examines Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay's electricity systems through 2050: Image
The researchers ran 80 different scenarios testing:

• Full vs limited regional coordination
• 90% emissions cuts vs no climate policy
• Different wind turbine types
• Solar tracking technologies

They used an open-source model called GridPath to optimise both generation and transmission.
Read 12 tweets
Oct 14, 2025
Asia will bear 65% of global mangrove losses by 2100, whilst OECD countries face just 3%.

A new study reveals the massive inequality in climate impacts on coastal ecosystems.

Here's what you need to know: Image
A new study in Environmental Research: Climate presents the first global analysis of how warming seas threaten mangrove restoration efforts: Image
The researchers analysed mangrove cover data across 1,533 locations worldwide from 1996 to 2020.

They examined how climate variables and economic development influence mangrove area.

Their approach uses panel data analysis to isolate the causal effects of temperature and GDP. Image
Read 12 tweets
Sep 9, 2025
Everyone is talking about Zarr.

ESA is adopting it and others are testing it.

Does this mean the end of Cloud Optimized GeoTIFFs?

Here is what you need to know: Image
ESA recently announced Zarr as the new format for Sentinel-1, 2 and 3.

USGS has benchmarked it for Landsat’s archive.

But many in the community are asking: does this mean the end of COG? Image
What are the basics?

• Zarr: best for large, n-dimensional data cubes (e.g. climate models, satellite time series, weather).

• COG: best for 2D rasters like imagery or elevation, especially when you need wide compatibility with existing tools.
Read 13 tweets
Sep 3, 2025
Turns out there are some pretty big issues with DHS data.

A new study finds massive subnational differences in data quality across 35 African countries.

Here's the breakdown: Image
A new study in Nature Communications, analyses geocoded DHS data at a 5km resolution.

It highlights serious concerns for health and development policymaking: Image
The researchers focus on three types of data errors:

• Incomplete age (missing birth month or year)
• Age heaping (ages ending in 0 or 5)
• Flagged HAZ (missing or implausible child height data)

These are widely used indicators of data quality.
Read 13 tweets
Aug 29, 2025
Air pollution is usually blamed for lung and heart disease.

But new clinical data shows it may also drive diabetes.

Here’s what you need to know: Image
The researchers combined:

• Outpatient clinical records from the Italian Association of Diabetologists (AMD)
• Municipality-level pollution exposure data from ISPRA, Italy’s environmental protection agency

This gave them a unique dataset of pollution and diabetes at the local level.Image
The AMD dataset is pretty powerful:

• Covers ~300 diabetes centres across all 20 Italian regions
• Half of all diabetes outpatients in Italy
• Based on clinical records, not self-reported cases

This makes it far more reliable than survey-based data.
Read 13 tweets

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