An updated global land cover map at 10 m resolution for 2021
With an ever-changing environment, more than ever governments, businesses and individuals need high-resolution, accurate and timely land-cover information. For this purpose, ESA initiated the WorldCover project which was kicked off in 2019. Two years later, in October 2021 the WorldCover team proudly released a new global baseline land cover product at 10 m resolution for 2020. The WorldCover map is the first global land cover product based on both Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data. After releasing this new global land cover map the demand for a WorldCover 2021 map was high.
We are therefore happy to announce that following the successful release of the WorldCover 2020 map, the European Space Agency (ESA) decided to extend the WorldCover project. Upon request of ESA the WorldCover consortium will develop an updated global land cover map at 10 m resolution for 2021.
Addressing the user feedback to improve the quality
Besides extending the global land cover map, the WorldCover 2021 product will also focus on addressing the user feedback received on the WorldCover 2020 map. We will improve certain known limitations of the 2020 version. This will ensure a product at the same unprecedented level of detail as WorldCover 2020 but with an even higher quality! Using again a combination of Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data, the WorldCover consortium will produce the global land cover map for 2021 with the same 11 classes in 3 months’ time. The WorldCover 2021 map will be released by the end of summer 2022.
Visit esa-worldcover.org for more updates on the WorldCover product or have another look at the 2020 version available through the interactive viewer.
The WorldCover 2021 consortium consists of a group of highly experienced European service providers and research organizations, covering all relevant aspects of land cover mapping. VITO (Belgium) is the prime contractor of the WorldCover consortium together with Brockmann Consult (Germany), Gamma Remote Sensing AG (Switzerland), International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (Austria) and Wageningen University (The Netherlands). They have a long track record of collaboration in diverse European and ESA projects, as well as the Copernicus Land and Climate Change Services.
