List of Free Downloadable Dataset

ORNL DAAC OGC Standards-based Geospatial Data Visualization/Download
Website: http://webmap.ornl.gov/wcsdown/index.jsp
Category: Biogeochemical dynamics
Coverage: Global
Comment: The ORNL DAAC provides access to various geospatial data, including ORNL DAAC archived data through Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standards-based Web Services (Web Map Service and Web Coverage Service). OGC services allow users to select the spatial extent, format, projection and resolution of the data to be previewed and/or downloaded.

High Resolution Gridded Datasets 10' resolution (~18km)
Mean precipiation, mean temperature, wet days, relative humidity, 10m wind speed, sunshine hours, elevation
Website: http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/cru/data/
Category: Climate
Coverage: Global
Comment:

IWMI-CPWF have released an on-line data and information portal that provides access to water, agriculture and environment scientific data
The portal name is IDIS - Integrated Database Information System. It allows you to query, download, plot, graph shared data and access its metadata (in GeoNetwork of course – quite a few CGIAR centers have tried to build a similar multi-domain data sharing portal but none succeeded so far – this is a CGIAR breakthrough.
Website: http://dw.iwmi.org
Category: Climate
Coverage:
Comment:

The Global River Discharge Database (RivDIS):
Yearly time series with monthly data of discharge (m3/s) for about 1000 sites.
Website: http://www.rivdis.sr.unh.edu
Category: Water Resources
Coverage: Global
Comment: Each data entry provides textual information, tabular data, and graphs

Global Land Cover Characterization
Land cover with different legends available
Website: http://edcsns17.cr.usgs.gov/glcc/
Category: Land Cover & Vegetation
Coverage: Global & Continental
Comment: All continental databases share the same map projections (Interrupted Goode Homolosine and Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area), have 1-km nominal spatial resolution, and are based on 1- km Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data spanning April 1992 through March 1993.

Satellite imagery
Products from divers sensors, e.g Landsat, MODIS, ASTER, Quickbird, AVHRR
Website: http://glcf.umiacs.umd.edu/data/
Category: Land Cover & Vegetation
Coverage: Global & regional
Comment:

NO-CHARGE IMAGERY FOR EVERYONE!
The USGS has released a technical announcement outlining the plan for the release of no-charge Landsat data.
Website: http://landcover.usgs.gov/
Category: Land Cover & Vegetation
Coverage:
Comment:

Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA 2000)
State and conditions of forest resources for the year 2000, and their changes over the last 20 years
Website: http://edcsns17.cr.usgs.gov/glcc/fao/index.html
Category: Land Cover & Vegetation
Coverage: Global
Comment: produced from the Global Land Cover Characteristics (GLCC) Database

Global Biodiversity Information
The convention on biological diversity:
Website: http://www.biodiv.org/default.shtml
Category: Protected Areas & Biodiversity
Coverage:
Comment:

Digital charts of the world:
Website: http://www.maproom.psu.edu/dcw/
Category: Protected Areas & Biodiversity
Coverage:
Comment:

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Mountain Environment and Natural Resources' Information System (MENRIS), ICIMOD
G.P.O.Box: 3226, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: 977 -1 - 5003222, Fax: 977 -1 - 5003299 Email:infomenris@icimod.org