Cumulative Human Influence

Human populations continually make their mark on Earth's ecosystems through activities such as urban expansion and agricultural development. This app enables users to explore the cumulative impact of these anthropogenic activities through several indices, from local communities to continents and world regions.

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Access Full Online Application

Read the scientific paper discussing the development of a Global Human Modification Index, as shown in the app.

Explore data source

The Global Human Modification layer is accessible using Google Earth Engine, an open-source geospatial analysis platform.

Explore agricultural development across the world.

View the variety of agricultural impacts across regions and land types through a Google Earth Voyager story.

Learn more

UN Sustainable Development Goals

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The UN SDGs help to guide analysis and policy to achieve a safer, more equal world by 2030. Human influence patterns relate directly to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). For more information on the SDGs, visit https://sdgs.un.org/goals.