Harmonized Digital Soil Maps for the Western Balkans

# Western Balkans Soil Map (WB6) – Version 1.0 **Authors:** Islamaj, Bexhet (GwEO-WB, Agricultural University of Tirana) Work package leader (ORCID: 0009-0007-5486-1219) Mema, Olsid (Agricultural University of Tirana) Project leader Hoffman, Max (Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies) Project manager The Regional Rural Development Standing Working Group (SWG RRD) Rights holder GEO-WB6 Rights holder Agricultural University of Tirana Rights holder **Publication Date:** 13 December 2025 **DOI:** 10.5281/zenodo.21339513 **License:** Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) --- ## Abstract This dataset provides a harmonized, INSPIRE‑compliant digital soil map for the six Western Balkan countries (WB6): Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia. The map is based on national soil surveys and has been integrated into a single GIS coverage using the **World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) – Fourth Edition (2022)** with the 2024 errata. All spatial data are reprojected to the European standard **ETRS89‑LAEA (EPSG:3035)**. The harmonization process addressed significant challenges including coordinate system inconsistencies, border discrepancies, classification harmonization, and data gaps. The resulting dataset supports cross‑border spatial analysis, environmental modelling, and policy making across the Western Balkans region. --- ## Data Content The dataset contains: - **Polygon soil map** at 1:50,000 scale (original sources vary)- **WRB Reference Soil Groups (RSG)** for all polygons (32 groups + 3 additional categories)- **RSG + main qualifier** combinations – 161 unique types (e.g., `LVcr-pa` = Chromic Luvisol (Paralithic))- **Attributes** include: - Original and harmonised WRB classification codes and names - Area (m², ha, km²) - Country code (ISO 3166-1 alpha-2) - Data source and map year - INSPIRE‑compliant metadata fields (inspireId, confidenceLevel, observationDate, beginLifespanVersion, etc.) --- ## File Structure