CA-ESRI
24.6.2021 14:02:10 CEST | Business Wire | Press release
Esri , the global leader in location intelligence, today announced it is releasing for the first time ever a new high-resolution, 2020 global land cover map as part of the company’s Living Atlas . The map was built using European Space Agency (ESA) Sentinel-2 satellite imagery, and developed using a new machine learning workflow teaming with new Esri Silver Partner Impact Observatory , as well as long-time partner Microsoft.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210624005176/en/
The new map will be updated annually supporting change detection and highlighting planetary land changes, especially related to the effects of human activity. A consistent map of land cover for the entire world based on the most current satellite information, the 2020 Global Land Cover Map can be combined with other data layers for green infrastructure, sustainability projects, and other conservation efforts that require a holistic picture of both the human and natural footprint on the planet. Later this year, Esri and Impact Observatory will make this new land cover model available to support on-demand land cover classification, allowing the GIS community to create maps for project areas as often as every week.
"This is a critical year for climate action," said Jack Dangermond, Esri founder and president. "With the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) bringing international parties together to address a set of common goals, we are happy to do our part in making this map available to users that are working towards the health of our planet."
Users will also be able to manipulate the map in association with other GIS layers such as terrain, hydrology, and more, all available in ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World, the foremost collection of geographic information from around the globe, including maps, apps, and data layers. Through the visualizations being released, planners worldwide will better understand the geography around them to make more informed decisions—enabling them to gain insight into locations with distinctive land cover, as well as human activity affecting them.
High-resolution, open, accurate, comparable, and timely land cover maps are critical for decision-makers in many industry sectors and developing nations. These maps improve understanding of important topics such as food security, land use planning, hydrology modeling, and resource management planning. In addition, national government resource agencies use land cover as a basis for understanding trends in natural capital, which helps define land planning priorities and is the basis of budget allocations.
Impact Observatory, contracted by Esri, developed a deep learning AI land classification model using a massive training dataset of billions of human-labeled image pixels, and applied this model to the Sentinel-2 2020 scene collection, processing over 400,000 Earth observations to produce the map. The unique machine learning approach used to create this global map will soon be available on demand, supporting land managers who need to monitor change in a specific area of interest, looking at annual change and seasonal differences in land cover.
"Global efforts are urging world leaders to set and achieve ambitious conservation targets," said Steve Brumby, Impact Observatory co-founder and CEO. "With support from the geospatial experts at Esri, and access to incredible compute resources at Microsoft, we were able to build in record time a land cover map that provides leaders in governments, NGOs, and across industries with a novel, timely view of the planet, and a new AI-powered capability for actionable, science-based insights on demand. In doing so, Impact Observatory hopes to contribute towards the global conservation effort."
Esri is releasing this valuable resource under a Creative Commons license to encourage broad adoption and ensure equitable access for planners creating a more sustainable planet. This content will be made available in ArcGIS Online as a map service and be freely available for use by its 10 million users. It will also be available for download and viewing. To explore the new 2020 Global Land Cover Map, visit livingatlas.arcgis.com/landcover .
About Impact Observatory
Impact Observatory is a mission-driven technology company bringing artificial intelligence (AI) powered algorithms and on-demand data to sustainability and environmental risk analysis for governments, non-profit organizations, companies, and markets. Founded in 2020 in Washington, DC, Impact Observatory’s goal is to empower global decision-makers to be planetary superheroes, with the timely, actionable science-based insights they need to succeed. Visit us at impactobservatory.com .
About Esri
Esri, the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, location intelligence, and mapping, helps customers unlock the full potential of data to improve operational and business results. Founded in 1969 in Redlands, California, USA, Esri software is deployed in more than 350,000 organizations globally and in over 200,000 institutions in the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, nonprofits, and universities. Esri has regional offices, international distributors, and partners providing local support in over 100 countries on six continents. With its pioneering commitment to geospatial information technology, Esri engineers the most innovative solutions for digital transformation, the Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics. Visit us at esri.com .
Copyright © 2021 Esri. All rights reserved. Esri, the Esri globe logo, ArcGIS, The Science of Where, esri.com, and @esri.com are trademarks, service marks, or registered marks of Esri in the United States, the European Community, or certain other jurisdictions. Other companies and products or services mentioned herein may be trademarks, service marks, or registered marks of their respective mark owners.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210624005176/en/
Link:
Social Media:
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Phenom Adds Major Headline Speakers as IAMPHENOM Europe Approaches Sold-Out Status6.10.2026 15:30:00 CEST | Press release
Second wave of esteemed speakers to bring real-world guidance on applying AI, agents and automation to improve hiring, development and retention Phenom, the leader in applied AI built to redesign work operations for hiring faster, developing better and retaining longer, today announced the newest wave of speakers for IAMPHENOM Europe 2026, the only applied AI event dedicated to human resources taking place on 4-5 November in Paris, France. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261006714151/en/ Phenom announced the newest wave of speakers for IAMPHENOM Europe 2026, the only applied AI event dedicated to human resources taking place on 4-5 November in Paris, France. The two-day conference gives attendees what other HR events can’t: an inside look at AI agents already in production, automated workflows tailored to specific business contexts and the dramatic results they are already delivering. Across keynotes, customer
European Firms Struggle to Keep Pace with Growing DSAR Demands, New Reveal Study Finds6.10.2026 15:00:00 CEST | Press release
With 86% of organisations still lacking dedicated DSAR technology, fewer than half of requests are completed within the one-month window GDPR requires, even as spending climbs New research published today byReveal, the provider of integrated AI-native platforms spanning the dispute resolution lifecycle, found that large European organisations complete fewer than half of data subject access requests (DSARs) within the one-month deadline required under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), a shortfall the study ties directly to a near-universal absence of purpose-built technology. Nearly nine in 10 organisations still run DSARs on manual or general-purpose workflows, with no dedicated tooling in place. The report, based on a survey of 213 legal and privacy professionals at large European enterprises, is the first of its kind to benchmark how organisations across the region are managing DSAR compliance at scale. The findings expose structural inconsistencies between how organisat
New Global Survey Finds Majority of VMware Users Are Choosing Alternative Paths for Cost Control, Roadmap Flexibility and Better Support6.10.2026 15:00:00 CEST | Press release
Rimini Street and DBTA/Unisphere Research survey finds 66% are already using or are considering third-party support Rimini Street, Inc. (Nasdaq: RMNI), the Software Support and Agentic AI ERP Company™ and the leading third-party support provider for Oracle, SAP and VMware software, today announced findings from the 2026 IT Virtualization Survey – What’s Next for VMware Users, a new global survey of nearly 300 VMware user organizations conducted by Unisphere Research on behalf of Rimini Street. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261006014490/en/ New Global Survey Finds Majority of VMware Users Are Choosing Alternative Paths for Cost Control, Roadmap Flexibility and Better Support Cost Cited as the Number One Factor in Seeking Alternative VMware Solutions Key Findings: 90% of respondents said they are considering alternatives to VMware due to higher licensing costs, while 54% cited the end of perpetual license supp
Xsolla Shows Brand Owners How to Create Value for Video Players at Brand Licensing Europe With Rewarded Marketing6.10.2026 15:00:00 CEST | Press release
Twenty-One Years of Game Commerce Comes to ExCeL London, October 6 to 8, With a New Way for Brands to Reward the Players They Have Been Trying to Reach for Years Xsolla, a global commerce company, today announced it will be at Brand Licensing Europe 2026 at ExCeL London, October 6 to 8, to show brand owners how to engage with video game players by creating quest-based programs and value new users actually value. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261006443167/en/ Graphic: Xsolla Video games are one of the largest categories of entertainment spending in the world, yet most brands still treat the category as an experiment: a one-off promotional stunt or a single media buy, not a lasting engagement program. The traditional formats brands default to were never built for players. Interstitial pop-ups disrupt gameplay, banner ads go unnoticed, and in-game activations remain cumbersome and expensive to execute. The idea
Rochester Electronics Launches Localized E-Commerce Experiences Across Key Global Markets6.10.2026 15:00:00 CEST | Press release
Europe and the Americas join Rochester's growing global e-commerce network Rochester Electronics today announced the launch of fully enabled e-commerce capabilities across its regional websites, allowing customers in key global markets to search for, source, and purchase authorized semiconductors in their local language. While Rochester's regional sites previously offered localized content and product information, they now support a complete end-to-end purchasing experience. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261006914131/en/ Rochester Electronics Launches Localized E-Commerce Experiences Across Key Global Markets The newly upgraded platforms are now live in Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Mexico), French, German, Italian, and Polish, complementing Rochester’s existing full e-commerce platforms in English, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean (South Korea). Customers can now complete transactions directly through their lo
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom