Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
The World Settlement Footprint (WSF) Tracker is an open-source platform that allows users to explore urban dynamics globally, including in some of the world’s most hazard-prone areas.
The platform enables users to access and analyse datasets that show how urban areas grow and change over time. Covering the period from July 2016 to January 2026, the dataset provides an unprecedented view of settlement dynamics at 10 m resolution, with updates every six months based on satellite data from the Copernicus Sentinel missions processed within Google Earth Engine.
Read full story: https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Tracking_urban_expansion_in_hazard-prone_areas
Credits: DLR/MindEarth/ESA
Access the video on the ESA video library: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2026/06/The_World_Settlement_Footprint_Tracker_in_action
Our main YouTube channel: youtube.com/@EuropeanSpaceAgency
We are Europe's gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
Copyright information about our videos is available here: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Terms_and_Conditions
The World Settlement Footprint (WSF) Tracker is an open-source platform that allows users to explore urban dynamics globally, including in some of the world’s most hazard-prone areas.
The platform enables users to access and analyse datasets that show how urban areas grow and change over time. Covering the period from July 2016 to January 2026, the dataset provides an unprecedented view of settlement dynamics at 10 m resolution, with updates every six months based on satellite data from the Copernicus Sentinel missions processed within Google Earth Engine.
Read full story: https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Tracking_urban_expansion_in_hazard-prone_areas
Credits: DLR/MindEarth/ESA
Access the video on the ESA video library: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2026/06/The_World_Settlement_Footprint_Tracker_in_action
Our main YouTube channel: youtube.com/@EuropeanSpaceAgency
We are Europe's gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
Copyright information about our videos is available here: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Terms_and_Conditions
