Documentation for the Global Human Settlement Layer: Population and Built-Up Estimates, and Degree of Urbanization Settlement Model Grid

This document outlines the basic methodology and data sets used to construct the Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL) data set, along with use cases, limitations, and use constraints. GHSL contains layers of Built-Up grid (GHS-BUILT), Population grid (GHS-POP), and the Settlement Model grid (GHS-SMOD) conveniently packaged by epochs, 1975, 1990, 2000, and 2014 for GHS-BUILT, and 2015 for GHS-POP and GHSSMOD. Data from the R2019 release of GHS-POP were already available in the WGS84 geographic projection and are included in the data package unchanged. Data from the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC-EC) R2018 release of GHSBUILT and R2019 release of GHS-SMOD were projected from Mollweide Equal Area projection to WGS84 with a Nearest Neighbor transformation using the R2019 GHS-POP as a reference for snapping and extent.