A spatially-explicit harmonized global dataset of critical infrastructure

Area of Science:

• Geospatial science
• Risk assessment
• Infrastructure studies

Background:

• Critical infrastructure (CI) is vital for societal function and economic development.
• Natural and human-made threats pose significant risks to CI.
• Geospatial data are essential for analyzing CI risks and informing policy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a globally harmonized spatial dataset representing critical infrastructure.
• To develop the Critical Infrastructure Spatial Index (CISI) for quantifying global CI spatial intensity.
• To provide a foundational dataset for exploring CI distribution and risk assessment.

Main Methods:

• Collected and harmonized detailed global geospatial data for major CI systems.
• Developed the Critical Infrastructure Spatial Index (CISI) using OpenStreetMap (OSM) data for 39 CI types.
• Rasterized CI data into harmonized datasets at 0.10°×0.10° and 0.25°×0.25° resolutions.

Main Results:

• A comprehensive, globally harmonized spatial dataset of critical infrastructure is now available.
• The Critical Infrastructure Spatial Index (CISI) quantifies the spatial intensity of global CI.
• The dataset includes 39 types of CI aggregated under seven main systems.

Conclusions:

• The new dataset and CISI enable exploration of the global CI landscape and identification of hotspots.
• This resource serves as crucial exposure input for large-scale risk assessments.
• Informed policy decisions can be made to mitigate risks to critical infrastructure.