Spatial distribution of core urban built-up areas in BRICS cities with population over 300,000 in 2000-2020( CBUAD_BRICS _2000-2020)

This data product covers the spatial distribution of the main built-up areas in 716 cities across the BRICS countries (China, Russia, Brazil, India, and South Africa) with populations exceeding 300,000 in 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020. Based on high-resolution satellite imagery from the Landsat and Sentinel series, as well as China’s GF-1/GF-6 satellites, the boundaries of urban built-up areas were extracted by identifying land cover types such as impervious surfaces and green spaces. This dataset serves as core foundational data for quantifying the urbanization process in BRICS countries. It directly supports the monitoring and evaluation of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11.3.1, providing reliable spatiotemporal evidence for urban growth boundary management, functional zone layout optimization, and land use efficiency analysis.