Global Multi-Index Drought Data with High Spatial and Temporal Resolution

Global Multi-Index Drought (GMID) data provides five standardized drought indices at high spatial (0.1 degrees) and temporal (weekly and monthly) resolution. The dataset spans 44 years from 1980 to 2024 and was generated by the Environmental Information Data Centre using multiple meteorological input sources. It includes two calculation versions, reference and best-fit, for each index across time scales from 1 to 48 months.

Use Cases

• Analyze SPI, SPEI, and SEDI values to model agricultural drought risk and crop yield correlations.
• Compare reference and best-fit versions of EDDI and SVPDI to assess methodological impacts on flash drought identification.
• Use weekly and monthly time-series data across 1-48 month scales for regional climate trend analysis and anomaly detection.
• Integrate 0.1-degree resolution geospatial layers with other environmental datasets for high-resolution hydrological modeling.

Strengths

• 44-year temporal coverage from 1980 to 2024 provides long-term climate analysis potential.
• High spatial resolution of 0.1 degrees and weekly/monthly temporal granularity.
• Includes five core drought indices (SPI, EDDI, SPEI, SEDI, SVPDI) across multiple time scales.

Limitations

• Specific row count, file size, and sample data structure are not provided.
• Relies on specific input models (MSWEP, GLEAM, MSWX) whose own limitations propagate into the indices.
• License terms are not explicitly stated in the provided information.

Provenance

Source

Environmental Information Data Centre, generated using MSWEP v2.8, GLEAM v4.2a, and MSWX vMSWX-Past input data.

Collection Method

Calculated from multiple meteorological input datasets using reference and best-fit probability distribution approaches.

Time Range

1980 to 2024

Freshness

Updated annually as input data becomes available; metadata last updated April 2026.

Geography

Global scale