March 2014: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) has released a database to monitor land cover change and water resources to support early warning systems.

The Global Land Cover Share (GLC-SHARE) database includes 11 layers that bring together a range of information types. It compiles spatially-explicit data on physical land cover from multiple partners and sources into a centralized database, vetted and harmonized using internationally accepted standards and definitions. The database is expected to be used to monitor land cover trends, as well as assess land for various uses and the impact of climate change on food production and land-use planning.

John Latham, FAO Land and Water Division, said that the update “will be a valuable tool in assessing the sustainability of agriculture, and for supporting evidence based-sustainable rural development and land-use policy contributing to reducing poverty, enabling of inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems and increasing resilience of livelihoods.” [GLC-SHARE Press Release] [GLC-SHARE Overview]