Global Lakes and Wetlands Database Levels 1 and 2 Polygons as GeoJSON (.geojson/.topojson) and Shapefiles (.shp)

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DataHub
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Updated:
Files:4
Size:87.4 MB
Formats:geojsontopojsoncompressed geojson
License:License

geodata data package providing geojson polygons and shapefiles for Global Lakes and Wetlands Database

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API Access

Access dataset files directly from scripts, code, or AI agents.

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Dataset Files

Each file has a stable URL (r-link) that you can use directly in scripts, apps, or AI agents. These URLs are permanent and safe to hardcode.

/core/glwd/
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/README.md
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/datapackage.json
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/json/glwd_1.geojson
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/json/glwd_1.topojson
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/json/glwd_2.geojson.zip
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/json/glwd_2.topojson
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-01/GLWD-level1.zip
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-01/GLWD_Data_Disclaimer.pdf
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-01/GLWD_Data_Documentation.pdf
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-01/glwd_1.avl
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-01/glwd_1.dbf
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-01/glwd_1.sbn
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-01/glwd_1.sbx
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-01/glwd_1.shp
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-01/glwd_1.shp.xml
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-01/glwd_1.shx
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-02/GLWD-level2.zip
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-02/GLWD_Data_Disclaimer.pdf
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-02/GLWD_Data_Documentation.pdf
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-02/glwd_2.avl
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-02/glwd_2.dbf
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-02/glwd_2.sbn
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-02/glwd_2.sbx
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-02/glwd_2.shp
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-02/glwd_2.shp.xml
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-02/glwd_2.shx
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-03/GLWD-level3.zip
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-03/GLWD_Data_Disclaimer.pdf
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-03/GLWD_Data_Documentation.pdf
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-03/glwd_3.avl
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-03/glwd_3/dblbnd.adf
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-03/glwd_3/hdr.adf
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-03/glwd_3/metadata.xml
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-03/glwd_3/sta.adf
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-03/glwd_3/vat.adf
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-03/glwd_3/w001001.adf
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-03/glwd_3/w001001x.adf
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-03/info/arc.dir
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-03/info/arc0000.dat
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-03/info/arc0000.nit
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-03/info/arc0001.dat
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-03/info/arc0001.nit
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-03/info/arc0002.dat
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-03/info/arc0002.nit
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/shp/level-03/info/arc0002r.001
Key Files

Start with these files — they give you everything you need to understand and access the dataset.

datapackage.json— metadata & schema
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/datapackage.json
README.md— documentation
https://datahub.io/core/glwd/_r/-/README.md
Typical Usage
  1. 1. Fetch datapackage.json to inspect schema and resources
  2. 2. Download data resources listed in datapackage.json
  3. 3. Read README.md for full context

Data Files

Level 1 (GLWD-1) comprises the 3,067 largest lakes (area ≥ 50 km2) and 654 largest reservoirs (storage capacity ≥ 0.5 km3) worldwide, and includes extensive attribute data.

About

Last updated
9 February 2026
Format
GEOJSON
File size
28 MB
Source

Level 1 (GLWD-1) comprises the 3,067 largest lakes (area ≥ 50 km2) and 654 largest reservoirs (storage capacity ≥ 0.5 km3) worldwide, and includes extensive attribute data.

Preview is not available for this format.

About

Last updated
9 February 2026
Format
TOPOJSON
File size
8.92 MB
Source

Level 2 (GLWD-2) comprises permanent open water bodies with a surface area ≥ 0.1 km2 excluding the water bodies contained in GLWD-1. Compressed because it exceeds GitHub's 100k file limit.

Preview is not available for this format.

About

Format
COMPRESSED GEOJSON
File size
30.2 kB
Source

Level 2 (GLWD-2) comprises permanent open water bodies with a surface area ≥ 0.1 km2 excluding the water bodies contained in GLWD-1.

Preview is not available for this format.

About

Last updated
9 February 2026
Format
TOPOJSON
File size
50.4 MB
Source

About this dataset