Elevationsnetzwerk

Elevationsnetzwerk is a collaborative network designed to coordinate the collection, validation, and distribution of elevation data and topographic information to support research, planning, and environmental monitoring. It unites national mapping agencies, universities, intergovernmental organizations, NGOs, and private sector partners to share digital elevation models, contour data, and related metadata across jurisdictional boundaries.

The network promotes interoperability through common data formats (for example GeoTIFF, GeoPackage, NetCDF) and metadata standards, licensing frameworks, and open-data principles where possible. It supports data sources including satellite-derived elevation (SRTM, TanDEM-X), airborne LiDAR, photogrammetric surveys, and crowd-sourced measurements, with quality control workflows to validate accuracy and consistency.

Governance is multi-stakeholder, with regional nodes, a steering committee, and working groups focused on data standards, licensing, and capacity building. The initiative emphasizes FAIR data principles, data provenance, versioning, and transparent documentation.

The concept originated from a need for cross-border topographic data sharing to support flood risk management, mountain region planning, and climate adaptation. Pilot projects have demonstrated benefits in hydrological modeling, urban development, and disaster response.

Applications include hydrology and flood risk assessment, landslide and avalanche monitoring, infrastructure planning, agriculture, and renewable energy siting. Data accessibility and licensing remain challenges, along with ensuring inclusive participation from low-resource regions and maintaining sustainable funding.

Related topics include digital elevation model, topography, GIS, open data, and FAIR data principles.