List of links for free and open source data access, visualization, alert, image &
GIS processing and modelling software’s
Disaster: Alerts/Forecasts/Warnings
S. No. Web Portal Web Address Coverage Category Salient Features
1 Pacific Disaster http://www.pdc Global Natural multi-hazard warning and
Center (PDC) .org/ Disasters decision support tools.
2 Global Disaster http://www.gda Global Natural Satellite and ground observation
Alert and cs.org/ Disasters based disaster early warning
Coordination alerts in RSS and KML formats.
System
(GDACS)
3 Indian National http://www.inc India Tsunami Provides regional tsunami
Centre for ois.gov.in/port warnings to countries on the
Ocean al/index.jsp Indian Ocean Rim.
Information
Services
(INCOIS)
4 Cyclocane https://www.cy Global Cyclone/H Data and information on
clocane.com/ urricane cyclone active tropical storms,
development potential and its
tracking on map.
5 India http://www.im India Weather Hosts information on
Meteorological d.gov.in/ meteorological observations,
Department warns against severe weather
(IMD) phenomenon like snow, tropical
cyclones, heavy rains, dust
storms etc.
6 Meteorological http://www.mo India Weather & Archives and disseminates data
& sdac.gov.in Climate from satellites like INSAT,
Oceanographic KALPANA-1, Oceansat,
Satellite Data Megha-Tropiques and SARAL.
Archival Centre Hosts and disseminates weather
(MOSDAC) related information services and
alerts over Mobile devices.
provides cyclone track
prediction along with intensity
and cyclogenesis over Indian
ocean
Disaster Monitoring: Floods, Cyclones, Forest Fires
S. No. Web Portal Web Address Coverage Category Salient Features
1 Global Flood http://flood.um Global Flood Experimental system using real-
Monitoring d.edu/ time TRMM Multi-satellite
System Precipitation Analysis (TMPA).
(GFMS) Streamflow, surface water
storage, inundation variables at
1km resolution.
2 Global Flood http://www.gda Global Flood Near- real time flood
Detection cs.org/flooddet monitoring system using
System - ection/ satellite data.
Version 2
3 Dartmouth http://floodobs Global Flood Flood archive records from
Flood ervatory.colora 1985 onward. The archive is
Observatory do.edu/ updated on an ongoing basis
and new flood event are added
immediately.
4 CIMSS http://tropic.sse Global Cyclone Near real-time imagery, derived
Tropical c.wisc.edu/# atmospheric analysis products.
Cyclone
5 Joint Typhoon https://www.m NW & S Cyclone JTWC is responsible for the
Warning Center etoc.navy.mil/j Pacific and issuing of tropical cyclone
(JTWC) twc/jtwc.html Indian warnings in the North-West
Ocean Pacific Ocean, South Pacific
Ocean, and Indian Ocean.
6 Fire https://firms.m Global Forest Fires Near-real time active fire data
Information for odaps.eosdis.n using Moderate Resolution
Resource asa.gov/ Imaging Spectroradiometer
Management (MODIS) and Visible Infrared
System Imaging Radiometer Suite
(FIRMS) (VIIRS).
7 Active Fire https://earthdat Global Forest Fires Provides active fire products
Data a.nasa.gov/eart from the Moderate Resolution
h-observation- Imaging Spectroradiometer
data/near-real- (MODIS) Visible Infrared
time/firms/acti Imaging Radiometer Suite
ve-fire-data (VIIRS) 375 m for the last 24,
48 hours and 7 days in
shapefile, KML, WMS or text
file formats.
8 Global Forest https://www.wr Global Forest Fires Global Forest Watch Fires
Watch Fires i.org/resources/ (GFW Fires) is a dynamic
maps/global- online forest monitoring and fire
forest-watch- alert system that provides near-
fires real time information that can
empower people to better
combat forest and land fires
before they burn out of control.
9 Severe Weather https://severe. Global Severe Provides a single and
Information worldweather. Weather centralized source for the media
Centre (SWIC) wmo.int/v2/ and the general public to access
official warning and
information issued by National
Meteorological and
Hydrological Services
(NMHSs) efficiently and
effectively.
10 Sand and Dust https://public.w Global Sand and Provides Sand and Dust Storm
Storm Warning mo.int/en/our- Dust Storm Warning Advisory and
Advisory and mandate/focus- Assessment System (SDS-
Assessment areas/environm WAS) launched by the Fifteenth
System ent/SDS/warni World Meteorological Congress
(Forecast Maps) ngs in 2007.
11 USGS http://earthqua Global Earthquake Monitors earthquake activities
Earthquakes ke.usgs.gov/ear worldwide with its spatial
Database thquakes/eqarc information.
hives/epic/kml
12 JAXA Global https://sharaku. Global Rainfall Offers Global Rainfall Map,
Rainfall Watch eorc.jaxa.jp/GS using the JAXA Global Rainfall
System (Ver. MaP/index.htm Watch System based on the
4.0) combined MW-IR algorithm
using GPM-Core GMI, TRMM
TMI, GCOM-W AMSR2,
DMSP series SSMIS, NOAA
series AMSU, MetOp series
AMSU, and Geostationary IR
developed by the GSMaP
(Global Satellite Mapping of
Precipitation) project.
Disaster/Natural Resources: Satellite Datasets, Satellite Derived Products & Other Geospatial
Datasets
S. No. Web Portal Web Address Coverage Category Salient Features
1 USGS Earth https://earthexp Global Satellite Its warehouse and source of free
Explorer lorer.usgs.gov/ datasets & and open access satellite data
Derived from different space EO
products missions. Supports the
searching and downloading of
satellite, aircraft, and other
remote sensing inventories.
2 Copernicus http://copernic Global Satellite The vast majority of data and
Open Access us.eu/main/lan datasets & information delivered by the
Hub d-monitoring Derived Copernicus space infrastructure
products and the Copernicus services
(ESA, EUMETSAT, ECMWF))
are made freely available and
accessible.
3 SRTM http://srtm.csi.c Global Free Global DEM from SRTM
DEM
giar.org is available in 30 and 90meter
posting.
4 General http://www.geb Global Ocean A range of gridded bathymetric
Bathymetric co.net datasets compiled by a group of
Chart of the experts.
Oceans
5 HydroSHEDS http://hydroshe Global Hydrology Hydrographic information at
ds.cr.usgs.gov/i regional and global scale. The
ndex.php Geo-data (raster and vector)
such as river networks,
watershed boundaries, drainage
directions, and flow
accumulations are available.
6 GLOBCOVER http://due.esrin Global Land Cover Global land cover dataset at
.esa.int/page_g 300m resolution from the
lobcover.php MERIS sensor on the
ENVISAT satellite.
7 Harmonized http://webarchi Global Soil Combines regional and national
World Soil ve.iiasa.ac.at/R soil databases and maps from
Database esearch/LUC/E many countries under the Land
xternal-World- Use Change programme of the
soil- UN FAO & includes soil units
database/HTM and parameters (such as pH,
L/index.html?s depth, and texture) and is at a
b=1 resolution of 30 arc-seconds.
Data Visualization
S. No. Web Portal Web Address Coverage Category Salient Features
1 Google Earth https://www.go Global Satellite Google Earth is a computer
ogle.com/intl/e data program that maps the Earth by
n_in/earth/ superimposing satellite images,
aerial photography, and GIS
data onto a 3D globe, allowing
users to see cities and
landscapes from various angles.
2 Google Maps http://maps.goo Human Google Maps is a web mapping
gle.com Global geography service developed by Google. It
offers satellite imagery, aerial
photography, street maps, 360°
panoramic views of streets, real-
time traffic conditions, and
route planning for traveling by
foot, car, bicycle and air, or
public transportation
3 NASA's https://worldvi Global Natural Visualization and download of
EOSDIS ew.earthdata.n Disasters global level multi-resolution
asa.gov/ satellite imageries. The data
products are updated within
three hours of observation,
essentially showing the entire
Earth as it looks "right now".
4 Gateway to http://bhuvan.n India Natural Bhuvan is a service set up by
Indian Earth rsc.gov.in/disas Resources ISRO for Visualization of
Observation ter/disaster/dis Satellite Imagery and Maps;
Bhuvan Geopor aster.php Analysis & Free Data
tal Download. Multi-sensor, Multi-
platform and Multi-temporal
data in nature can be visualized
in 2D and 3D. Varieties of
thematic maps are also hosted.
5 Visualization of Natural Provides a platform (data,
Earth https://vedas.sa India Resources infrastructure and guidance) for
Observation c.gov.in utilization of information
Data and derived over land using mainly
Archival Indian space-borne sensors to
System develop custom crafted geo-
(VEDAS) spatial applications to support
the decision making.
Software’s/Tools: Image & GIS data Processing and Modelling
S. No. Web Portal Web Address Coverage Category Salient Features
1 Hydrologic http://www.hec Software/T Hydrology HEC-RAS allows one-
Engineering .usace.army.mi ool/Model dimensional steady flow, one
Center's River l/software/hec- and two-dimensional unsteady
Analysis ras/ flow calculations, sediment
System (HEC- transport/mobile bed
RAS) computations, and water
temperature/water quality
modeling.
2 HAZUS https://www.fe Software/T Natural Hazus is a geographic
ma.gov/hazus- ool/Model hazards information system-based
software natural hazard analysis tool
developed and freely distributed
by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA).
3 SeNtinel’s http://step.esa.i Software/T Data SNAP is a platform from ESA
Application nt/main/downl ool/Model processing which allows processing of the
Platform oad/ data from Sentinels 1/2/3
(SNAP) missions.
4 Broadview http://www.alti Software/T Altimetry BRAT (Basic Radar Altimetry
Radar Altimetry metry.info/tool ool/Model data Toolbox) is a tool designed to
Toolbox box/ processing read, process and visualize
(BRAT) altimetry data.
5 Quantum GIS http://www.qgi Software/T GIS QGIS is a user friendly and
(QGIS) s.org/ ool/Model processing easy-to-install free & open-
source cross-platform desktop
geographic information system
application and is one of the
most viable alternative to
proprietary desktop GIS.
Socioeconomic Datasets & Other databases
S. No. Web Portal Web Address Coverage Category Salient Features
1 Emergency https://www.e Global Natural EM-DAT contains essential
Events mdat.be/ Disasters core data on the occurrence and
Database (EM- effects of over 22,000 mass
DAT) disasters in the world from 1900
to the present day. The database
is compiled from various
sources, including UN agencies,
non-governmental
organizations, insurance
companies, research institutes
and press agencies.
2 Natural Disaster http://www.lde Global Natural Multi-hazard information on
Hazards o.columbia.edu Disasters various aspects such as
/chrr/research/ frequency, loss to life &
hotspots/cored economy and other information.
ata.html
3 Socioeconomic http://sedac.cie Global Socioecono Provides 209 datasets for
and Data sin.columbia.e mic & viewing and downloading on
Applications du/data/collecti related various themes like climate,
Center on/ndh/sets/bro thematic health, population, water,
(SEDAC) wse datasets hazards (mortality and
economic losses for flood,
cyclone, drought, landslide,
earthquake and volcanic
hazards) etc.
4 GADM http://gadm.org Global Administrat Spatial data on administrative
ive boundaries of different
Boundaries countries are available in shape
file, geodatabase, KMZ and
RData format.
5 Open Street http://www.geo Global Base OSM is a collaborative project
Map fabrik.de/data/ Layers to create a free editable map of
download.html the world. Provides base data
such as buildings, roads and
points of interest etc.
Contributors use aerial imagery,
GPS devices, and low-tech field
maps to verify that OSM is
accurate and up to date.
