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GRFClimate and Nature GovernanceIn development
STEM foundation

STEM foundation of Climate and Nature Governance

The science, technology, engineering and mathematics Climate and Nature Governance rests on. Each method has a canonical page in the STEM Commons, hosted by GCRI, and a page here on how it is applied in this field.

Open Climate and atmospheric science at Climate and Nature Governance Back to Climate and Nature Governance
Climate and Nature GovernanceRegister
  1. 01MethodClimate and atmospheric science at Climate and Nature Governance
  2. 02MethodEcology and biodiversity science for climate and nature governance
  3. 03MethodPolicy, institutional and decision science for climate and nature governance
  4. 04MethodHydrology and water science for climate and nature governance
  5. 05MethodAgricultural, soil and food science for climate and nature governance

GRF · In development · service level R0

01In brief

The short answer.

The Climate and Nature Governance STEM foundation is the set of canonical methods its findings depend on, from climate and atmospheric science to agricultural, soil and food science. Each method has a canonical STEM Commons page and a page here on its use in the climate and hazards field.

02Canvas

Methods feeding this platform.

Canvas · methods feeding this platformDesign, not a record
STEM foundation of Climate and Nature Governance: the policy cycleA problem reaches the agenda, options are formulated and appraised, consultation tests them, the mandate holder decides, implementation and monitoring follow, and evaluation feeds the next agenda. Design of the process, not a record of a run.

Fig.The methods this platform draws on and what each one feeds. Design, not a record.

03Geography

Habitat condition in the Andes.

For STEM foundation of climate and nature governance, in GRF's situational-awareness reading, the map opens on population density, land cover, vegetation and plant growth with vegetation disturbance alerts from NASA GIBS, framed on the Andes; 2 further NASA layers wait in the list.

The interactive map needs JavaScript; the layer list and sources are below.

Layers 4

Habitat condition, for this page

Latest available

NASA GIBS / EOSDIS · ASTER GDEM (METI, NASA) · Blue Marble (NASA) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Natural Earth

Loading the latest NASA imagery.

Drag to move. Ctrl or ⌘ and scroll, pinch or the buttons to zoom; hover for the values under the pointer; reset returns to the region.

For STEM foundation of climate and nature governance, in GRF's situational-awareness reading, the map opens on population density, land cover, vegetation and plant growth with vegetation disturbance alerts from NASA GIBS, framed on the Andes; 2 further NASA layers wait in the list.Satellite and model products as NASA publishes them, each with its own date; indicators, not assessments of any place; claim ceiling INTEGRATED.

Data: NASA GIBS · ASTER GDEM · Blue Marble · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Natural Earth · NASA EONET · NASA JPL OPERA DIST-ALERT · GDACSSources and licences

  • We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA's Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA's Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University. 2018. Gridded Population of the World, Version 4 (GPWv4): Population Density, Revision 11. NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). CC BY 4.0
  • MODIS land products (vegetation indices, gross primary production, land cover), NASA LP DAAC and LANCE; imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • NASA Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS), VIIRS 375 m active fire product, NASA LANCE; vector tiles via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • VIIRS near-real-time products (flood, land surface temperature, snow cover, corrected reflectance), NASA LANCE; imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • ASTER GDEM is a product of METI and NASA (ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model V003, NASA LP DAAC); imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • Made with Natural Earth. Free vector and raster map data @ naturalearthdata.com. Public domain
  • © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), via NASA GIBS (coastlines, boundaries, roads and place names). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). ODbL
  • Blue Marble, NASA Earth Observatory; imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • Context on the globe and flat map: coastlines, boundaries, roads and place names from NASA GIBS reference layers (OpenStreetMap data, ODbL, © OpenStreetMap contributors); Blue Marble imagery as an optional base; 3D terrain and the elevation read-out from the ASTER GDEM elevation colour index (5 m to 200 m classes, exaggerated for legibility). Boundaries are drawn as published and imply no position on any territory.
  • Globe: MapLibre GL JS 6.9.1, BSD-3-Clause, © MapLibre contributors.
  • Live: NASA EONET Events are indicative, not official warnings.
  • Observed (EO): NASA JPL OPERA DIST-ALERT (contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2026). We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA's Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA's Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS).
  • Live: GDACS (EC JRC / UN OCHA) Events are indicative, not official warnings.
  • Optional layers (8 sources in the layer list: live, forecast, observed and context) print their provider credit on the map and here when switched on; forecasts are model output and derived indices are estimates.

Layers and dates

  • Population density, 2020: Population: CIESIN, Columbia University, Gridded Population of the World v4.11 (2018), NASA SEDAC, CC BY 4.0 · static
  • Land cover type (IGBP), yearly: MODIS Terra and Aqua land cover (MCD12Q1), NASA LP DAAC · 2024
  • Enhanced vegetation index, rolling 8 days: MODIS Terra EVI, NASA LANCE · 13 Oct 2026
  • Gross primary production, 8-day total: MODIS Aqua GPP (MYD17), NASA LP DAAC · 30 Sep 2026
  • Active fires and thermal anomalies, last day: VIIRS NOAA-20 375 m (FIRMS), NASA LANCE FIRMS · 13 Oct 2026
  • Land surface temperature, day, 8-day composite: VIIRS NOAA-20 Level 3, 8-day, NASA LANCE · 14 Sep 2026

04Methods

The methods behind the field.

  1. Climate and atmospheric scienceScenarios for adaptation plans · Attribution in governance debatesSteward · Climate and HazardsApplied here
    Canonical · STEM Commons
  2. Ecology and biodiversity scienceCumulative effects in assessment · Protected-area representativeness · Restoration monitoringSteward · Biodiversity NexusApplied here
    Canonical · STEM Commons
  3. Policy, institutional and decision scienceMandate and decision-rights mapping · Process tracing of commitmentsSteward · Policy NexusApplied here
    Canonical · STEM Commons
  4. Hydrology and water scienceAllocation under variable flow · Upstream project effects · Shared monitoring designSteward · Water NexusApplied here
    Canonical · STEM Commons
  5. Agricultural, soil and food scienceIrrigation and crop choice · Drought impact on yields · Smallholder adaptation optionsSteward · Food NexusApplied here
    Canonical · STEM Commons
05Key terms

Terms used on this page.

Each term as this page uses it. Where a standard-setting body defines the term, the wording follows that body.

TermDefinition
STEM CommonsThe shared reference of science, technology, engineering and mathematics methods for the Nexus network, hosted by GCRI, with one canonical page per method and a named steward platform.
Steward platformThe platform that maintains the canonical description of a method in the STEM Commons and reviews how other platforms apply it.
Climate and atmospheric scienceClimate science studies the physical processes that govern the atmosphere, oceans, cryosphere and land surface over seasons to centuries.
Ecology and biodiversity scienceEcology studies the interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment, from populations to ecosystems.
06Why it matters

Grounding makes claims checkable.

When a finding names the methods it depends on, a reader can see its assumptions and limits, and an expert in that method can challenge it.

07Pages

Pages in STEM foundation of Climate and Nature Governance.

Method

Climate and atmospheric science at Climate and Nature Governance

Method

Ecology and biodiversity science for climate and nature governance

Method

Policy, institutional and decision science for climate and nature governance

Method

Hydrology and water science for climate and nature governance

Method

Agricultural, soil and food science for climate and nature governance

08Questions

Questions and answers.

What is a steward platform?
The platform that maintains the canonical description of a method and reviews how it is applied across the Consortium.
Related

Around Climate and Nature Governance.

Climate and Nature Governance

Bring your expertise to this field.

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