Press Release: Global Land Cover: unique picture of world vegetation from satellites

A unique global land cover database for the year 2000 (GLC2000) is at last ready for use. This map fills an important knowledge gap concerning the distribution of vegetation and land cover on our planet. It was completed by a world-wide partnership of over 30 research organisations, co-ordinated by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC). GLC2000 results were presented at the GMES (Global Monitoring for the Environment and Security) meeting on 26-29 November 2003 and subsequent GEO (Global Earth Observation) conference on 28-29 November 2003, in Baveno (Italy). GLC2000 will allow for better monitoring of the environment. This will, in turn, help forecast and prevent natural and man-made disasters, and study eco-systems, bio-diversity, climate change and weather forecasting.