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Strata - A climate security analytics to:

Integrate layers of information for better mapping

Analyze climate and environmental security hotspots

Respond designing programmes for climate risk and resilience-building

stratum (ˈstreɪtəm ; ˈstrætəm ) Noun, Word forms: plural ˈstrata (streɪtə ; ˈstrætə ) or ˈstratums

1. a horizontal layer or section of material, esp. any of several lying one upon another...

What is Strata?

a tool for online mapping and data analytics about climate security to bring awareness of the inter-linkages between climate change, environmental degradation and peace and security
a joint UNEP/FAO collaboration: UNEP methodology is integrated in Earth Map to simplify and aggregate several multi-disciplinary layers to highlight complex and recent climate-related security risks

The main objectives are

analyze Earth stress, identifying and monitoring environment and climate stress hotspots in real time
integrate peace and security, visualizing how hotspots overlap with socioeconomic risks, potentially driving maladaptation, displacement, or conflict
respond with policy and programming, designing policies and programmes for climate change adaptation, risk reduction, and resilience-building

Who should use it and why?

Strata can guide project designers and decision-makers in the wealth of data abundance to summarize raw data into actionable information.

Strata’s hotspot map highlights locations which users may want to examine in more detail but cannot provide all the information a user may need for a full climate security assessment. Users should integrate the understanding gained from these data-driven maps with their own expert contextual knowledge. Additional knowledge of the context and potential pathways between stresses, vulnerabilities, and impacts, -- whether it is the user’s own expertise, gathered from local networks or through complementary research -- is required to correctly interpret the visualized hotspots.

Strata's analysis should be used as a first proxy to understand what are the main issues and related drivers in a particular area.

What layers are integrated into Strata and how?

The layers are divided in three topics or "baskets" (source: Strata – Overview of Indicators and Datasets, UNEP). Layers on Climate change projections are shown but not included in the calculation of the Strata score.

More detail is available in the layers characteristics page.

Climate & Environment

Drought (meteorological)Drought (agricultural)HeatwaveFlood (likelihood)Coastal InundationDeforestationLand degradation

Peace and security

Violence against civiliansRemote violence/explosionsProtestsRiotsBattles

Population Exposure and Socioeconomic Vulnerability

Exposed populationElderlyChildrenFemaleUrban expansion (increasing population density in urban areas)Population growthNight time light intensity (Governance proxy)Travel time to healthcareWater riskIrrigationFood insecurity

What is the spatial reference?

Input data come from different sources hence with various spatial resolutions. Zonal statistics can be carried out at administrative level 0-1-2 as on custom-drawn areas or imported areas (shp, kml, GeoJson). A point inspector feature allows also point-based analysis.

What is the temporal reference?

Strata encompasses several indicators thus hosting many layers with different dates and update frequencies. A constant effort is put to reflect the most recent datasets available. Right now the overall time reference is 2023.

How to report feedback?

As Earth Map, Strata is strongly demand-driven and user feedback is crucial for its development and maintenance. Please use the Contact us form to provide feedback.

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