GCRI · Water Nexus

Released maps

Maps of Water Nexus are published here once their data rights are cleared and they have been reviewed. Each shows its time and space reference, its sources and its uncertainty.

01Workspace

The workspace for released maps.

Map workspace

Basin B · Layers 8 · Scale 1:38,000 · Example interface, not a record

Draft viewGCRI · Water Nexus

Released maps

schematic · example geography

Layers

Reservoir storageOBSERVEDOn
SPI-3DERIVEDOn
Non-revenue waterREPORTEDOn
E. coli complianceOBSERVEDOff
AdministrativePublished statisticsOff

Feature inspector

Feature
Aquifer unit 2 · cell H-3016
Value
0.2 index, illustrative
Source passport
SP-2606 · licence open
Uncertainty
range shown, not a point
Map workspace.Illustrative interface; not live data.

Water Nexus · Map workspace. Map workspace: example names and illustrative values, not a record.

02What is shown

Released, referenced and rights-cleared.

  • Time and space reference for every view.
  • Sources and licence.
  • Uncertainty and known limits.
  • Version and date of release.
03Geography

Water now worldwide.

Flood water, rain and root-zone soil moisture across the world, from NASA GIBS. Each layer carries its own date.

The interactive map needs JavaScript; the layer list and sources are below.

Layers 3

Water now, for this page

About this layer
Evidence
Observed (clouds leave gaps)
Source
VIIRS Global Flood Product (NASA LANCE)
Provider
NASA LANCE
Licence
NASA open data
Vintage
daily; Satellite detection; clouds leave gaps
Newest at build
2026-10-14
Resolution
about 250 m grid
Uncertainty
Satellite detection; clouds leave gaps. Satellite or model raster as the provider publishes it. Clouds, swath gaps and retrieval error leave gaps and noise; values are indicators, not measurements at a place.
Reached through
gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov, only after you allow the live map
About this layer
Evidence
Estimated
Source
GPM IMERG (NASA GES DISC)
Provider
NASA GES DISC
Licence
NASA open data
Vintage
daily; Satellite estimate, near real time
Newest at build
2026-10-12
Resolution
about 2 km grid
Uncertainty
Satellite estimate, near real time. Satellite or model raster as the provider publishes it. Clouds, swath gaps and retrieval error leave gaps and noise; values are indicators, not measurements at a place.
Reached through
gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov, only after you allow the live map
About this layer
Evidence
Modelled
Source
SMAP Level 4 (NASA NSIDC DAAC)
Provider
NASA NSIDC DAAC
Licence
NASA open data
Vintage
daily; Model with satellite data assimilated
Newest at build
2026-10-11
Resolution
about 2 km grid
Uncertainty
Model with satellite data assimilated. Satellite or model raster as the provider publishes it. Clouds, swath gaps and retrieval error leave gaps and noise; values are indicators, not measurements at a place.
Reached through
gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov, only after you allow the live map
About this layer
Evidence
Observed
Source
VIIRS NOAA-20 corrected reflectance (NASA LANCE)
Provider
NASA LANCE
Licence
NASA open data
Vintage
daily; Satellite image
Newest at build
2026-10-14
Resolution
about 250 m grid
Uncertainty
Satellite image. Satellite or model raster as the provider publishes it. Clouds, swath gaps and retrieval error leave gaps and noise; values are indicators, not measurements at a place.
Reached through
gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov, only after you allow the live map
About this layer
Evidence
Observed (latest month GIBS publishes)
Source
GRACE-FO JPL mascons (NASA JPL PO.DAAC)
Provider
NASA JPL PO.DAAC
Licence
NASA open data
Vintage
monthly; Satellite gravimetry; latest month GIBS publishes
Newest at build
2022-07-01
Resolution
about 2 km grid
Uncertainty
Satellite gravimetry; latest month GIBS publishes. Satellite or model raster as the provider publishes it. Clouds, swath gaps and retrieval error leave gaps and noise; values are indicators, not measurements at a place.
Reached through
gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov, only after you allow the live map
About this layer
Evidence
Modelled (latest year GIBS publishes)
Source
MODIS Terra and Aqua land cover (MCD12Q1) (NASA LP DAAC)
Provider
NASA LP DAAC
Licence
NASA open data
Vintage
yearly; Satellite classification; latest year GIBS publishes
Newest at build
2024-01-01
Resolution
about 500 m grid
Uncertainty
Satellite land cover classes for the year shown, including croplands; a classification with known errors, not a farm register.
Reached through
gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov, only after you allow the live map

Latest available

NASA GIBS / EOSDIS · ASTER GDEM (METI, NASA) · Blue Marble (NASA) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Natural Earth

Loading the latest NASA imagery.

Drag to move. Ctrl or ⌘ and scroll, pinch or the buttons to zoom; hover for the values under the pointer; reset returns to the region.

Water now, framed on the world.Satellite and model products as NASA publishes them, each with its own date. They are indicators, not assessments of any place.

Data: NASA GIBS · ASTER GDEM · Blue Marble · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Natural Earth · NASA EONET · NASA JPL OPERA DSWx-S1 · NASA JPL OPERA DIST-ALERTSources and licences

  • We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA’s Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA’s Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA’s Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA’s Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • VIIRS near-real-time products (flood, land surface temperature, snow cover, corrected reflectance), NASA LANCE; imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • GPM IMERG precipitation, NASA Precipitation Processing System; distributed by the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC); imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • SMAP Level 4 soil moisture and snow mass, NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office; distributed by the NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center DAAC; imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • GRACE and GRACE-FO JPL mascon solution, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory; distributed by the NASA Physical Oceanography DAAC (PO.DAAC); imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • MODIS land products (vegetation indices, gross primary production, land cover), NASA LP DAAC and LANCE; imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • ASTER GDEM is a product of METI and NASA (ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model V003, NASA LP DAAC); imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). Cite as: NASA/METI/AIST/Japan Spacesystems and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team (2019). ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model V003. doi:10.5067/ASTER/ASTGTM.003. NASA open data
  • Made with Natural Earth. Free vector and raster map data @ naturalearthdata.com. Public domain
  • © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), via NASA GIBS (coastlines, boundaries, roads and place names). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). ODbL
  • Blue Marble, NASA Earth Observatory; imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • Context on the globe and flat map: coastlines, boundaries, roads and place names from NASA GIBS reference layers (OpenStreetMap data, ODbL, © OpenStreetMap contributors); Blue Marble imagery as an optional base; 3D terrain and the elevation read-out from the ASTER GDEM elevation colour index (5 m to 200 m classes, exaggerated for legibility). Boundaries are drawn as published and imply no position on any territory.
  • Live events: NASA Earth Observatory Natural Event Tracker (EONET); events are indicative and keep their original source links.
  • Live: NASA EONET Events are indicative, not authority warnings.
  • Observed (EO): NASA JPL OPERA DSWx-S1 (contains modified Copernicus Sentinel-1 data 2026). We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA’s Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA’s Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS).
  • Observed (EO): NASA JPL OPERA DIST-ALERT (contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2026). We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA’s Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA’s Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS).
  • NASA GIBS: We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA’s Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA’s Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS).
  • River discharge forecast, 30 days with range (GloFAS via Open-Meteo): Contains modified Copernicus Emergency Management Service information 2026; not a flood warning.
  • Past year, daily temperature (ERA5 via Open-Meteo): Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
  • Past year, daily temperature and sunshine (NASA POWER): These data were obtained from the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) POWER Project funded through the NASA Earth Science/Applied Science Program..
  • Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (https://open-meteo.com/), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
  • Optional layers (14 sources in the layer list: live, forecast, observed and context) print their provider credit on the map and here when switched on; forecasts are model output and derived indices are estimates.

Layers and dates

  • Flood water, 3-day composite: VIIRS Global Flood Product, NASA LANCE · 14 Oct 2026
  • Precipitation rate, daily mean: GPM IMERG, NASA GES DISC · 12 Oct 2026
  • Root-zone soil moisture, 0 to 100 cm: SMAP Level 4, NASA NSIDC DAAC · 11 Oct 2026
  • True colour: VIIRS NOAA-20 corrected reflectance, NASA LANCE · 13 Oct 2026
  • Water storage anomaly, monthly: GRACE-FO JPL mascons, NASA JPL PO.DAAC · July 2022
  • Land cover type (IGBP), yearly: MODIS Terra and Aqua land cover (MCD12Q1), NASA LP DAAC · 2024

04Indicators

What a released map in this field would carry.

IndicatorUnitCadenceEvidence labelTopic
Standardised precipitation indexdimensionless (3, 6, 12 month)monthlyEstimatedDrought and flood
Soil moisture anomalypercent of climatologyweeklyModelledDrought and flood
Streamflow percentilepercent of period of recorddailyObservedDrought and flood
Reservoir storagepercent of live capacitydailyPublished statisticsDrought and flood
Groundwater level anomalymetres below meanmonthlyObservedDrought and flood
Flood return period of peak flowyearsper eventEstimatedDrought and flood
Inundated areasquare kilometresper eventObservedDrought and flood
Population in the flood extentpersonsper eventEstimatedDrought and flood
Catchment precipitationmillimetres per monthmonthlyEstimatedCatchment hydrology
Actual evapotranspirationmillimetres per monthmonthlyModelledCatchment hydrology
Runoff coefficientdimensionlessseasonalEstimatedCatchment hydrology
Baseflow indexdimensionlessannualEstimatedCatchment hydrology
Flow duration curve percentilescubic metres per secondperiod of recordObservedCatchment hydrology
Water yieldmillimetres per yearannualModelledCatchment hydrology
Depth to water tablemetres below groundmonthlyObservedGroundwater and aquifers
Terrestrial water storage anomalycentimetres equivalent water heightmonthlyEstimatedGroundwater and aquifers
Abstractioncubic metres per yearannualPublished statisticsGroundwater and aquifers
Recharge estimatemillimetres per yearannualModelledGroundwater and aquifers
Land subsidence ratemillimetres per yearannualObservedGroundwater and aquifers
Electrical conductivity and chloridemicrosiemens per centimetre; milligrams per litrequarterlyObservedGroundwater and aquifers
Border-crossing flowcubic metres per seconddailyPublished statisticsShared river basins
Reservoir storage in the basincubic kilometresmonthlyEstimatedShared river basins
Sediment loadtonnes per yearannualEstimatedShared river basins
Delta salinity intrusion lengthkilometresdry seasonObservedShared river basins
Basin precipitation by countrymillimetres per monthmonthlyEstimatedShared river basins
Environmental flow compliancepercent of months meeting the agreed flowannualPublished statisticsShared river basins
Continuity of supplyhours per daydailyObservedWater utilities
Non-revenue waterpercent of system input volumemonthlyPublished statisticsWater utilities
Energy intensitykilowatt hours per cubic metremonthlyObservedWater utilities
Residual chlorine compliancepercent of samples in rangemonthlyPublished statisticsWater utilities
Raw-water turbiditynephelometric turbidity unitscontinuousObservedWater utilities
Days of storage at current demanddaysdailyPublished statisticsWater utilities
Backup power endurancehoursper assetPublished statisticsWater utilities
Population with safely managed drinking waterpercentannualPublished statisticsDrinking water and sanitation
Population with safely managed sanitationpercentannualPublished statisticsDrinking water and sanitation
E. coli detection in supply samplespercent of samples positivemonthlyObservedDrinking water and sanitation
Arsenic and fluoride exceedancepercent of sources above guidelinesurveyObservedDrinking water and sanitation
Intermittencyhours of supply per daydailyObservedDrinking water and sanitation
Persons per functioning water pointpersonsper siteEstimatedDrinking water and sanitation
Hydropower generation against inflowgigawatt hours; cubic metres per seconddailyPublished statisticsWater energy interdependence
Cooling-water temperature margindegrees Celsius below the permit limitdailyObservedWater energy interdependence
Energy intensity of water supplykilowatt hours per cubic metremonthlyObservedWater energy interdependence
Water intensity of generationlitres per megawatt hourannualPublished statisticsWater energy interdependence
Coincident peak indexdimensionlessdailyEstimatedWater energy interdependence
Reserve margin at evening peakpercentdailyPublished statisticsWater energy interdependence
Irrigated area and water usehectares; cubic metres per hectareseasonalEstimatedWater food ecosystem links
Crop water stressdimensionless indexweeklyModelledWater food ecosystem links
Wetland extentsquare kilometresseasonalObservedWater food ecosystem links
Nutrient load at the basin outlettonnes of nitrogen and phosphorus per yearannualEstimatedWater food ecosystem links
Inland fish catchtonnes per yearannualPublished statisticsWater food ecosystem links
05Process

How the process runs.

Process

Released maps: Layers to published map

Layers enter with their rights, are aligned, analysed and checked for uncertainty, then released after public-safe review; a map is a governed spatial claim.

  1. 01 Data

    1. 01Source layers with their rightsDataset · NXS-GRX (canonical data, provenance and risk)Spatial views of The Global Risks Index (NXS-GRX) products sit under the boundary licence gate. Rights classification sets how a layer may be used.
  2. 02 Harmonise

    1. 02Coordinate reference and boundary versionRecord · NXS-EOP (earth observation and digital twins)The area of interest preserves its coordinate reference system, polygon validity and observation support. Boundary versions are kept.
    2. 03Harmonise units, variables and timeStepUnit metadata, conversion records and transformation logs are required. Alignment is an evidence event, not hidden preprocessing.
  3. 03 Analyse and check

    1. 04Analyse with a recorded processing recipeModel · GIS teamA processing recipe records parameters, calibration, inputs and output lineage. The analysis methods are named in each product’s own record.
    2. 05Spatial uncertainty checkGateSpatial uncertainty is recorded and affects downstream use. A high-uncertainty polygon may suit internal review, not public-safe release.
  4. 04 Publish

    1. 06Spatial metadata bundleRecordThe bundle records boundary type, jurisdiction, geometry version, projection, resolution, source, time window, uncertainty and access class.
    2. 07Public-safe release of the mapDecisionThe output record names the redactions, uncertainty and public-safe reviewer. A map is a governed spatial claim, never merely a picture.

Spatio-temporal intelligence · Data protocols: semantic, jurisdictional and temporal intelligence · NXS-EOPDesigned programme process, not a record of operation. No cycle has run and every programme is at service level R0. A gate is a programme decision, never a public-authority approval, certification or deployment authorisation. The pages cited are design doctrine.

06Reading water maps

Cautions that apply to every water map.

  • Basin and administrative boundaries rarely coincide; a national average can hide a basin in deficit.
  • Water stress indicators depend on the environmental flow assumed; state it.
  • Flood extents from radar miss water under dense vegetation and in cities.
  • Gridded rainfall products differ most where people are most exposed: mountains, coasts and the tropics.
07Status

Releases appear as they are reviewed.

Analysis runs in Foundry; reviewed releases are listed here.

08Sources

Where this page’s references lead.

The bodies and documents this page is read against. Status and editions change; each link goes to the issuing body.

09Questions

Questions and answers.

Can I request a map or model?
Write to the contact form with what you need and why.
ReportsContribute

Contribute evidence from this page.

Reports is the Consortium’s quarterly publication. What you know about this subject can become evidence, a case or a correction in the next edition, credited to you and published under CC BY 4.0 where it is your own work.

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