Land Cover Atlas of the Republic of South Sudan

The Land Cover Atlas of the Republic of South Sudan provides information on the land cover distribution by administrative and sub-basin divisions. The dataset was created using the FAO/GLCN methodology and tools. Main data sources include satellite imagery from SPOT and Global Land Survey (GLS) Landsat, existing Africover land cover database and ancillary data. The legend was prepared using the Land Cover Classification System (LCCS): a comprehensive, standardized a priori classification system, designed to meet specific user requirements and created for mapping exercises, independent of the scale or means used to map. The classification uses a set of independent diagnostic criteria that allows the correlation with existing classifications and legends. Satellite images of South Sudan were segmented into homogeneous polygons and they were interpreted according to the FAO/GLCN methodology for the production of a seamless and detailed land cover dataset for the whole country. A field verification was completed by national experts who received a customized training on methodology and tools. The final land cover product has around 100,000 polygons, classified into 43 different classes and eventually aggregated into 7 major classes for ease of analysis and display.