The wildland-urban interface raster dataset of Catalonia

Data Brief. 2018 Jan 3:17:124-128. doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2017.12.066. eCollection 2018 Apr.

Abstract

We provide the wildland urban interface (WUI) map of the autonomous community of Catalonia (Northeastern Spain). The map encompasses an area of some 3.21 million ha and is presented as a 150-m resolution raster dataset. Individual housing location, structure density and vegetation cover data were used to spatially assess in detail the interface, intermix and dispersed rural WUI communities with a geographical information system. Most WUI areas concentrate in the coastal belt where suburban sprawl has occurred nearby or within unmanaged forests. This geospatial information data provides an approximation of residential housing potential for loss given a wildfire, and represents a valuable contribution to assist landscape and urban planning in the region.

Keywords: Catalonia; Human communities; Urban planning; Wildfire risk; Wildland-urban interface.