Hydrological sub-basins v2 (Global - 2026) - AQUASTAT

This dataset is the updated version of FAO's Major Hydrological Basins of the World dataset, published earlier in this catalog (https://data.apps.fao.org/catalog//iso/7707086d-af3c-41cc-8aa5-323d8609b2d1) The dataset is included as part of Geo-Spatial Information collected and published in the framework of the AQUASTAT - programme of the Land and Water Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. https://www.fao.org/aquastat/ **Data publication:** 2025-05-02 **Data revision:** 2026-08-31 **Citation:** Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO Land and Water Division. Major hydrological basins of the world, Major hydrological basins v2 (Global - 2026) - AQUASTAT, Latest update: 13/04/2026. Accessed (dd-mm/yy) from: https://data.apps.fao.org/catalog/dataset/d617520f-7ce4-4e54-ac2c-c550cd764a6b **Contact points:** Resource Contact: [AQUASTAT](mailto:aquastat@fao.org) Metadata Contact: [AQUASTAT](mailto:aquastat@fao.org) **Data lineage:** This product incorporates data from the HydroSHEDS database (https://www.hydrosheds.org/) which is © World Wildlife Fund, Inc. (2006-2013) and has been used herein under license. WWF has not evaluated the data as altered and incorporated within the "Major hydrological basins of the world dataset", and therefore gives no warranty regarding its accuracy, completeness, currency or suitability for any particular purpose. Recent data review has resulted in the correction of minor topology errors. **Resource constraints:** This work is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence (CC-BY-4.0) **Online resources:** Download the data from Google Cloud Storage

This dataset represents the world's major hydrological basins and respective sub-basins according to its hydrological characteristics. Source: WWF HydroSHEDS and Hydro1K More information on data source at https://data.apps.fao.org/catalog//iso/7707086d-af3c-41cc-8aa5-323d8609b2d1 Attribute table schema, field description: - MAJ_BAS - major basin code; - MAJ_NAME - major basin name; - MAJ_AREA - major basin area (square km); - SUB_BAS - sub-basin code; - SUB_NAME - sub-basin name; - SUB_AREA - sub-basin area (square km); - TO_BAS - downstream sub-basin code (towards which water flows) (-888 internal sub-basins and -999 draining to the sea) **Data revision:** 2022-06-02 **Supplemental Information:** Original datasets were developed as part of a GIS-based information system on water resources, published in the framework of the AQUASTAT - programme of the Land and Water Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. **Contact points:** Metadata Contact: [FAO-Data](mailto:fao-data@fao.org) Resource Contact: [Nelson Ribeiro](mailto:nelson.rosasribeirofilho@fao.org) **Data lineage:** Based on the "FAO Land and Water Division Major hydrological basins of the world", the dataset was produced by merging the existing continental datasets and updating coding systems. Original data was obtained by delineating drainage basin boundaries from hydrologically corrected elevation data (WWF HydroSHEDS and Hydro1K). **Online resources:**

This dataset was obtained by delineating drainage basin boundaries from hydrologically corrected elevation data (HydroSHEDS and Hydro1K). Input data resolution is 15 arc-seconds between 60 N and 60 S latitude (based on SRTM), and 30 arc-seconds for higher latitudes (based on GTOPO30). The dataset consists of the following information: numerical code (MAJ_BAS), name (MAJ_NAME) and area (MAJ_AREA) of the major basin in square km. **Data creation:** 2011-02-02 **Supplemental Information:** This dataset is developed as part of a GIS-based information system on water resources. It has been published in the framework of the AQUASTAT - programme of the Land and Water Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The map is also available in the SOLAW Report 15: “Sustainable options for addressing land and water problems – A problem tree and case studies”. **Citation:** Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO Land and Water Division. Major hydrological basins of the world. Latest update: 02/02/2011. Accessed (dd-mm/yy) from: https://data.apps.fao.org/catalog//iso/7707086d-af3c-41cc-8aa5-323d8609b2d1 **Contact points:** Metadata Contact: [AQUASTAT](mailto:aquastat@fao.org) Resource Contact: [AQUASTAT](mailto:aquastat@fao.org) **Data lineage:** The majority of the linework of the map was obtained by delineating drainage basin boundaries from hydrologically corrected elevation data with a resolution of 15 arc-seconds. The elevation dataset was part of a mapping product, **HydroSHEDS**, developed by the Conservation Science Program of World Wildlife Fund. Original input data had been obtained during NASA's Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). Areas north of the SRTM extent, 60 degrees N, were obtained by merging with the HYDRO1k basin layer. **Resource constraints:** This product "Major hydrological basins of the world" incorporates data from the **HydroSHEDS** database which is © World Wildlife Fund, Inc. (2006-2013) and has been used herein under license. WWF has not evaluated the data as altered and incorporated within the "Major hydrological basins of the world dataset", and therefore gives no warranty regarding its accuracy, completeness, currency or suitability for any particular purpose. **Online resources:** Download - Major hydrological basins of the world (ESRI shapefile) Portions of the HydroSHEDS database incorporate data which are the intellectual property rights of © USGS (2006-2008), NASA (2000-2005), ESRI (1992-1998), CIAT (2004-2006), UNEP-WCMC (1993), WWF (2004), Commonwealth of Australia (2007), and Her Royal Majesty and the British Crown and are used under license. HydroSHEDS dataset download and technical information Major rivers of the world

SDG 6 Foundation Basin Units (SDG6-FBU). The SDG6-FBU is a geo-spatial data layer with spatial information derived from HydroBASIN level 12 (https://www.hydrosheds.org/products/hydrobasins). Each of these small hydrological units (approximately 1 million basins) is named according to the ‘SDG 6 Major Basin’ and ‘SDG 6 Sub-Basin’ classification, with the sub-basins nested within the major basins. **Data publication:** 2025-05-02 **Supplemental Information:** The dataset is included as part of Geo-Spatial Information collected and published in the framework of the AQUASTAT - programme of the Land and Water Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. https://www.fao.org/aquastat/ **Citation:** Integrated Monitoring Initiative for SDG 6 (IMI-SDG 6), SDG6 Basin Maps, Foundation Basin Units, Latest update: 31/07/2024. Accessed (dd-mm/yy) from: https://data.apps.fao.org/catalog/iso/edit/6ad5c7cb-a62d-4216-9dc7-9bb715a04fb1 **Contact points:** Resource Contact: [Jippe Hoogeveen](mailto:jippe.hoogeveen@fao.org) Metadata Contact: [AQUASTAT](mailto:aquastat@fao.org) **Data lineage:** SDG 6 Foundation Basin Units (SDG6-FBU). The SDG6-FBU is a geo-spatial data layer with spatial information derived from HydroBASIN level 12 (https://www.hydrosheds.org/products/hydrobasins). Each of these small hydrological units (approximately 1 million basins) maintains attribute information from the following 4 source layers: • FAO (major basins and sub-basins) • TWAP (river basins component) • GRDC (river basins) • WMO (major basins and sub-basins), which allows for backward compatibility to be maintained to each source layer. In addition, each hydrological unit will be named according to the new ‘SDG 6 Major Basin’ and ‘SDG 6 Sub-Basin’ classification, with the sub-basins nested within the major basins. These new SDG 6 classifications will draw initially upon the source layers and then over time be revised based on country information. All improvements of the SDG 6 Basin Map will be conducted in this layer. This product "SDG 6 Foundation Basin Units (SDG6-FBU)" incorporates data from the HydroSHEDS database (https://www.hydrosheds.org/) which is © World Wildlife Fund, Inc. (2006-2013) and has been used herein under license. WWF has not evaluated the data and therefore gives no warranty regarding its accuracy, completeness, currency or suitability for any particular purpose. **Resource constraints:** This work is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence (CC-BY-4.0) **Online resources:** Download the data from Google Cloud Storage SDG6_BasinMaps_Final_Report_v1 SDG6_BasinMaps_Final_Report_v1_Appendices

SDG 6 Foundation Basin Units (SDG6-FBU). The SDG6-FBU is a geo-spatial data layer with spatial information derived from HydroBASIN level 12 (https://www.hydrosheds.org/products/hydrobasins). Each of these small hydrological units (approximately 1 million basins) is named according to the ‘SDG 6 Major Basin’ and ‘SDG 6 Sub-Basin’ classification, with the sub-basins nested within the major basins. **Data publication:** 2025-05-02 **Supplemental Information:** The dataset is included as part of Geo-Spatial Information collected and published in the framework of the AQUASTAT - programme of the Land and Water Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. https://www.fao.org/aquastat/ **Citation:** Integrated Monitoring Initiative for SDG 6 (IMI-SDG 6), SDG6 Basin Maps, Foundation Basin Units, Latest update: 31/07/2024. Accessed (dd-mm/yy) from: https://data.apps.fao.org/catalog/iso/edit/0a08a20b-dffa-490d-854a-676cee0a9d3c **Contact points:** Resource Contact: [Jippe Hoogeveen](mailto:jippe.hoogeveen@fao.org) Metadata Contact: [AQUASTAT](mailto:aquastat@fao.org) **Data lineage:** SDG 6 Foundation Basin Units (SDG6-FBU). The SDG6-FBU is a geo-spatial data layer with spatial information derived from HydroBASIN level 12 (https://www.hydrosheds.org/products/hydrobasins). Each of these small hydrological units (approximately 1 million basins) maintains attribute information from the following 4 source layers: • FAO (major basins and sub-basins) • TWAP (river basins component) • GRDC (river basins) • WMO (major basins and sub-basins), which allows for backward compatibility to be maintained to each source layer. In addition, each hydrological unit will be named according to the new ‘SDG 6 Major Basin’ and ‘SDG 6 Sub-Basin’ classification, with the sub-basins nested within the major basins. These new SDG 6 classifications will draw initially upon the source layers and then over time be revised based on country information. All improvements of the SDG 6 Basin Map will be conducted in this layer. This product "SDG 6 Foundation Basin Units (SDG6-FBU)" incorporates data from the HydroSHEDS database (https://www.hydrosheds.org/) which is © World Wildlife Fund, Inc. (2006-2013) and has been used herein under license. WWF has not evaluated the data and therefore gives no warranty regarding its accuracy, completeness, currency or suitability for any particular purpose. **Resource constraints:** This work is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence (CC-BY-4.0) **Online resources:** Download the data from Google Cloud Storage SDG6_BasinMaps_Final_Report_v1 SDG6_BasinMaps_Final_Report_v1_Appendices

This dataset divides the African continent in major hydrological basins and their sub-basins according to its hydrological characteristics. It was obtained by delineating drainage basin boundaries from hydrologically corrected elevation data (WWF HydroSHEDS and Hydro1K). The dataset consists of the following information:- numerical code and name of the major basin (MAJ_BAS and MAJ_NAME); - area of the major basin in square km (MAJ_AREA); - numerical code and name of the sub-basin (SUB_BAS and SUB_NAME); - area of the sub-basin in square km (SUB_AREA); - numerical code of the sub-basin towards which the sub-basin flows (TO_SUBBAS) (the codes -888 and -999 have been assigned respectively to internal sub-basins and to sub-basins draining into the sea) **Data publication:** 2021-12-15 **Supplemental Information:** This dataset is developed as part of a GIS-based information system on water resources for the African continent. It has been published in the framework of the AQUASTAT - programme of the Land and Water Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. **Contact points:** Metadata Contact: [AQUASTAT](mailto:aquastat@fao.org) Resource Contact: [Jippe Hoogeveen](mailto:jippe.hoogeveen@fao.org) **Data lineage:** The linework of the map was obtained by delineating drainage basin boundaries from hydrologically corrected elevation data with a resolution of 15 arc-seconds.The elevation dataset was part of a mapping product, HydroSHEDS, developed by the Conservation Science Program of World Wildlife Fund. Original input data had been obtained during NASA's Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). For general information regarding the HydroSHEDS data product: http://www.worldwildlife.org/hydrosheds For dataset download and technical information:http://hydrosheds.cr.usgs.gov https://data.apps.fao.org/catalog//iso/7707086d-af3c-41cc-8aa5-323d8609b2d1 **Online resources:** Download - Hydrological basins in Africa (ESRI shapefile) General information regarding the HydroSHEDS data product HydroSHEDS dataset download and technical information Rivers of Africa