Satellite-based water level dataset for selected strategic inland water bodies of Azerbaijan based on DAHITI satellite altimetry observations

This dataset provides cleaned and organized satellite altimetry-based water level observations for selected strategic inland water bodies of Azerbaijan. It was prepared for the research project “Satellite-based assessment of water level variability and economic exposure in Azerbaijan’s Caspian Sea and strategic inland water systems.” The dataset is based on DAHITI satellite altimetry water level time-series records. It includes four selected inland water bodies and river systems with available satellite altimetry observations: Mingachevir Reservoir, Shamkir Reservoir, Kura River, and Araz River. The dataset contains cleaned water surface elevation records, compact time-series data, monthly and annual summaries, a water body inventory, a data dictionary, metadata, citation notes, source links, and explanatory documentation. The data can support environmental-economic research, water security assessment, hydrological variability analysis, reservoir and river monitoring, and studies related to climate-sensitive water resource dynamics in Azerbaijan. Some strategically important reservoirs, including Takhtakorpu and Sarsang, were not included because satellite altimetry time-series records were not available for these targets in the accessed DAHITI database at the time of dataset preparation. The dataset package includes CSV and XLSX files, documentation files, and visualization outputs to support transparency, reproducibility, and reuse.