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The Earth Institute at Columbia University
A wide variety of researchers and policy makers share a common interest in gaining a better understanding of the spatial distribution of human population. The development of spatially disaggregated global population databases (e.g., Gridded Population of the World and LandScan) represent a significant contribution to meeting those demands. The extent and shape of urban areas, however, is insufficiently delineated in these basic data sets, thereby leading to misestimation of population in urban and rural areas. This project aims to fill that gap. It quantifies the spatial distribution of human population and the extent of urbanized land area by constructing and analyzing a global georeferenced population database, including urban extents. This goal of this project is thus to (1) develop a global georeferenced population database, including urban extents, that merges census data with satellite and other geographic data; and (2) quantify the spatial distribution of human population and the extent of urbanized land area. Project outputs will include databases of human settlements of at least 5,000 persons or more in 1995 and 2000, a geospatial database consisting of an urban mask (polygons), and a complete urban-rural gridded surface along with associated maps and papers. This project is unique in that it utilizes census data for population of urban areas, geographic coordinates for populated places, administrative boundaries, and the nighttime lights satellite datasets as its basic data (and additional satellite, survey and geographic data for validation), and that it integrates methodologies from the social and earth science
Project Leader/Principal Investigator
Balk, Deborah
Primary Contact
Balk, Deborah
Locations
Africa, Asia, South America
Department/Center
Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN)
Funding Source
International Food and Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
Additional Researchers
Francesca Pozzi, CIESIN
Greg Yetman, CIESIN
Christopher Small, LDEO
Collaborating Institution
Center for International Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)
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