Version 4 of the Harmonized World Soil Database is used as a source of soil resource data to allow spatially detailed evaluation of both soil qualities and edaphic crop suitability. The Harmonized World Soil Database (HWSD) comprises a geographical layer containing reference to some 30,000 soil mapping units. This information is stored as a 30 arc-second map unit raster in a geographic information system linked to an attribute database. It includes 17 soil attributes generalized for 0-30 cm and 30-100 cm soil depth.
The part of the HWSD relating to Africa has recently been updated by JRC during production of the Soil Atlas of Africa (Jones et al., 2013). It is intended to use this HWSD update for Africa in GAEZ v4.
The Global Agro-ecological Zones (GAEZ) data portal contributes to the sustainable management of land, water, and genetic resources. It enables improved responses to global environmental challenges affecting food and agriculture. It particularly enables a concerted organization response by countries to i) promote and develop sustainable land management, ii) improve use of soil and land resources, and iii) improve the global agro-ecological zone assessments through high resolution indicators for agro-ecological suitability, area harvested, and yield and productivity at various levels.
FAO Land and Water Division (NRL)
1 April 2013 - December 2018
Full details of the latest version, GAEZ v4.0
RESEARCH PARTNERS
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
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