JRC Global Surface Water (1984-2021)

JRC Global Surface Water (1984-2021)

MH Subset Needed

Maps of surface water location and temporal distribution from 1984-2021 derived from Landsat imagery at 30m resolution. Maharashtra subset reveals reservoir levels, river width changes, seasonal wetlands, and water body loss over 37 years.

Build a Maharashtra water body dynamics analyzer tracking seasonal and long-term changes in surface water extent.
Maharashtra subset not yet extracted. This is a global dataset that contains data covering Maharashtra. A regional subset can be extracted by filtering on geographic coordinates or administrative boundaries.
HomepageDownload

Quick Start

import ee
# Google Earth Engine
# gsw = ee.Image('JRC/GSW1_4/GlobalSurfaceWater')
print('JRC Global Surface Water: https://global-surface-water.appspot.com/')
print('Also available on Google Earth Engine')
Modality
raster-imagery
Size
~150 GB (global), ~2 GB (MH subset)
License
Format
GeoTIFF
Language
en
Update Frequency
periodic
Organization
European Commission JRC

Schema

FieldTypeDescription
occurrenceintegerPercentage of time water was present (0-100) over 1984-2021
changeintegerChange in water occurrence intensity between periods
seasonalityintegerNumber of months water is present per year
recurrenceintegerFrequency of water return in inter-annual cycle
transitionscategoricalClass of water presence transition (permanent, seasonal, new, lost, etc.)

Build With This

Create a reservoir capacity estimator for Maharashtra dams using satellite-derived water surface area time-series
Develop a wetland conservation monitor tracking degradation of Maharashtra's lakes and marshes
Build a waterlogging risk mapper identifying areas in Maharashtra with increasing surface water frequency

AI Use Cases

Reservoir storage estimation and monitoringDrought impact assessment on water bodiesWetland conservation planningIrrigation canal mappingFlood extent historical analysis
Last verified: 2026-03-07