Aqueduct flood data
Scripts for working with the WRI Aqueduct global open flood dataset. [1]
For country extracts, it can be helpful to use Natural Earth boundaries
For example, to check the boundary of Tanzania, download all country boundaries and check using the three-letter country code (TZA):
bash download_boundaries.sh
python check_bbox.py TZA
For more accurate administrative boundaries at different levels, consider using the GADM dataset.
Data dictionary
Each hazard map shows inundation depth in meters for either coastal or riverine floods.
The file names are used to encode the model variables in a structured way:
inunriver_{climatescenario}_{model}_{year}_{returnperiod}.extension
inunriver_rcp8p5_00000NorESM1-M_2080_rp01000.tif
inuncoast_{climatescenario}_{subsidence}_{year}_{returnperiod}_{projection}.extension
inuncoast_historical_nosub_hist_rp0002_0.pickle
To produce metadata CSVs after downloading data, run
python generate_metadata_csvs.py
Coastal flooding
| Category | Category Full Name | Options | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| floodtype | Flood Type | inuncoast | Coastal flood hazard |
| climatescenario | Climate Scenario | historical | Baseline condition |
| climatescenario | Climate Scenario | rcp4p5 | Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5 (steady carbon emissions) |
| climatescenario | Climate Scenario | rcp8p5 | Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 (rising carbon emissions) |
| subsidence | Subsidence | nosub | Subsidence not included in projection |
| subsidence | Subsidence | wtsub | Subsidence included in projection |
| year | Year | hist | Baseline condition |
| year | Year | 2030 | 2030 |
| year | Year | 2050 | 2050 |
| year | Year | 2080 | 2080 |
| returnperiod | Return Period | rp0002 | 2-year flood |
| returnperiod | Return Period | rp0005 | 5-year flood |
| returnperiod | Return Period | rp0010 | 10-year flood |
| returnperiod | Return Period | rp0025 | 25-year flood |
| returnperiod | Return Period | rp0050 | 50-year flood |
| returnperiod | Return Period | rp0100 | 100-year flood |
| returnperiod | Return Period | rp0250 | 250-year flood |
| returnperiod | Return Period | rp0500 | 500-year flood |
| returnperiod | Return Period | rp1000 | 1000-year flood |
| projection | Sea level rise scenario (in percentile) | 0 | 95th percentile (default) |
| projection | Sea level rise scenario (in percentile) | 0_perc_05 | 5th percentile |
| projection | Sea level rise scenario (in percentile) | 0_perc_50 | 50th percentile |
Riverine flooding
| Category | Category Full Name | Options | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| floodtype | Flood Type | inunriver | Riverine flood hazard |
| climatescenario | Climate Scenario | historical | Baseline condition/ no climate scenario needed |
| climatescenario | Climate Scenario | rcp4p5 | Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5 (steady carbon emissions) |
| climatescenario | Climate Scenario | rcp8p5 | Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 (rising carbon emissions) |
| model | global circulation model | 000000000WATCH | Baseline condition |
| model | global circulation model | 00000NorESM1-M | GCM model: Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Norwegian Meteorological Institute |
| model | global circulation model | 0000GFDL_ESM2M | GCM model: Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (NOAA) |
| model | global circulation model | 0000HadGEM2-ES | GCM model: Met Office Hadley Centre |
| model | global circulation model | 00IPSL-CM5A-LR | GCM model: Institut Pierre Simon Laplace |
| model | global circulation model | MIROC-ESM-CHEM | GCM model: Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute (The University of Tokyo), National Institute for Environmental Studies, and Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology |
| year | Year | hist | Baseline condition |
| year | Year | 2030 | 2030 |
| year | Year | 2050 | 2050 |
| year | Year | 2080 | 2080 |
| returnperiod | Return Period | rp0002 | 2-year flood |
| returnperiod | Return Period | rp0005 | 5-year flood |
| returnperiod | Return Period | rp0010 | 10-year flood |
| returnperiod | Return Period | rp0025 | 25-year flood |
| returnperiod | Return Period | rp0050 | 50-year flood |
| returnperiod | Return Period | rp0100 | 100-year flood |
| returnperiod | Return Period | rp0250 | 250-year flood |
| returnperiod | Return Period | rp0500 | 500-year flood |
| returnperiod | Return Period | rp1000 | 1000-year flood |
References
[1] World Resources Institute (April 2020) Aqueduct Floods Hazard Maps