REDLANDS, CALIF. -- Esri has made HydroSHEDS v2 publicly available for the first time. Confluvio Consulting led the development of the HydroSHEDS v2 foundational dataset in partnership with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and Esri, whose geographic information system (GIS) technology will provide users with the data. A major innovation in global hydrographic capabilities, this hydrographic framework is the result of a collaboration initiated by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and McGill University.

HydroSHEDS v2 will support a broad range of applications, including flood risk assessments, freshwater ecosystem conservation, infrastructure planning, water resource management, environmental modeling, scientific research, and operational decision-making.

The initial release of HydroSHEDS v2 provides comprehensive hydrographic coverage for North, Central, and South America, and marks the beginning of a phased global rollout. By making these datasets available through ArcGIS Living Atlas, Esri is enabling GIS professionals, scientists, environmental organizations, and water resource managers to access more detailed and consistent hydrographic information for analysis and decision-making.

“HydroSHEDS v2 represents a major milestone in hydrographic data development and international collaboration,” said Sean Breyer, director for ArcGIS Living Atlas. “By combining high-resolution elevation data, Arc Hydro processing capabilities, and the accessibility of ArcGIS Living Atlas, we are helping researchers, governments, NGOs [nongovernmental organizations], and organizations better understand and manage water resources across the Americas and eventually around the world.”

“HydroSHEDS v2 provides an important new foundation for hydrologic science, conservation planning, and water resource management,” said Bernhard Lehner, associate professor at McGill University and Confluvio cofounder. “Making these datasets openly available through ArcGIS Living Atlas will accelerate innovation and support better decision-making for freshwater systems worldwide.”

HydroSHEDS has long served as one of the world‘s most widely used hydrographic frameworks. This new version represents a significant advancement, leveraging the high-resolution TanDEM-X global elevation model from DLR and advanced processing workflows. HydroSHEDS v2 enables users to create more accurate, comprehensive, and globally consistent representations of Earth’s drainage systems.