To provide tabular data to researchers without GIS capabilities who need data on population and land area by country across a range of physical characteristics. These include measures such as the number of persons living within coastal zones, the percent of a region within specific elevation strata, or the number of persons living within different climate zones.

To provide quantitative metrics for evaluating a country's environmental performance in different policy categories relative to clearly defined targets.

To provide a geographically explicit and reliable database of reservoirs for the scientific community.

To provide annual estimates of anthropogenic global and regional Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) emissions in support of climate, atmospheric or other related research.

To provide quantitative metrics for evaluating a country's environmental performance in different policy categories relative to clearly defined targets.

To provide an assessment of potential climate change impacts on world crop production.

To provide a database with observed responses to climate change for multidisciplinary studies.

To provide quantitative metrics for evaluating a country's environmental performance in different policy categories relative to clearly defined targets.

To provide estimates of urban and rural populations and land areas in the low elevation coastal zone.

To make the acquisition, comparison and analysis of sustainability indicators easier by compiling them in a single database, incorporating multiple country codes, and condensing the indicator descriptions into short methodological summaries in an accompanying data dictionary.

To provide tabular data on environmental conditions (elevations, climate, coastal) in which people reside.

To provide geographical portraits of vulnerability designed to incorporate both exposure to climate change and national capacities to adapt.

To provide quantitative metrics for evaluating a country's environmental performance in different policy categories relative to clearly defined targets.

To provide a means of assessing global flood mortality risks and distribution.

To provide a means of assessing the relative distribution and frequency of global drought hazard.

To provide a spatial surface of the proportional economic impacts of global flood hazard.

To provide a spatial surface of the total economic impacts of global flood hazard.

To create a comparative index of national-level environmental sustainability and to provide a mechanism for making environmental management more quantitative, empirically grounded and systematic.

To provide a spatial surface of the proportional economic impacts of global drought hazard.

To provide a means of assessing the relative distribution and frequency of global flood hazard.