For some 40 years, ISRIC – World Soil Information has been providing significant support to the international science community by collecting and archiving regional, national and global-scale maps of soils and land resources.
Realizing the need to conserve the information on existing maps, which underpin the fast-developing thematic mapping strategies to support soil protection, the Institute of Environment and Sustainability (IES) in the European Commission and ISRIC came up with this project and the immediate objective is to transfer soil information into digital format, with the maximum resolution possible, to preserve the information of paper maps that are vulnerable to deterioration.
Beyond data rescue, the archive is expected to develop into a common platform for storing soil maps from around the world and making the information readily accessible. Organizations that maintain soil map archives in paper form, and wishing to conserve this information by transferring it into digital form, are invited to join the EuDASM program.
Realizing the need to conserve the information on existing maps, which underpin the fast-developing thematic mapping strategies to support soil protection, the Institute of Environment and Sustainability (IES) in the European Commission and ISRIC came up with this project and the immediate objective is to transfer soil information into digital format, with the maximum resolution possible, to preserve the information of paper maps that are vulnerable to deterioration.
Beyond data rescue, the archive is expected to develop into a common platform for storing soil maps from around the world and making the information readily accessible. Organizations that maintain soil map archives in paper form, and wishing to conserve this information by transferring it into digital form, are invited to join the EuDASM program.
A Sample Soil map of Europe:
A Sample Soil map of Asia:
The initiative for this program was taken by Dr Luca Montanarella of the European Joint Research Centre and Dr Otto Spaargaren of ISRIC – World Soil Information in October 2004. The first level success for this initiative was figured out by completion of the around 2000 soil maps pertaining to the African continent. Through this digitization program the map quality and precision of information were preserved against further loss assuming to be required for future use by land resources specialists.
All the maps are categorized, and can be downloaded as below:
- Africa
- Asia
- Canada
- Caribbean islands
- Europe
- Latin America
- United States of America
Click here to Access to Soil Maps
OR
Click here for complete details & see the Extent of coverage
