EU-Hydro 2.0: A New Era of European Hydro Data
Session
EU-initiativer
Abstract
Discover the next generation of European hydrology with the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service. EU-Hydro 2.0 goes beyond mapping, delivering a modern, consistent reference dataset for both mapping and hydrological modelling. It overcomes key limitations of the current version with improved structure, resolution, and quality, enabling better predictions, environmental assessments, and water resilience planning.
Built on the Copernicus Digital Elevation Model (DEM) at 10m resolution, EU-Hydro 2.0 integrates advanced hydrological conditioning to produce a suite that includes raster layers (Hydro-DEM, flow direction, flow accumulation) and vector layers (river networks, water bodies, basins, water infrastructure, coastline). All layers are consistent, scalable, and ready for analysis.
Join this session to see how this new dataset will transform hydrological data into actionable insight.
Målgruppe
The target group of the presentation is participants at Kortdage 2026 employed as hydrologists and water resource specialists, geospatial professionals (GIS analysts, remote sensing experts), environmental scientists and ecologists, policy-makers, and planners in water management.
Yderligere uddybning af abstract
The new EU-Hydro 2.0 addresses the need for a modern, pan-European hydrographic reference, providing a powerful tool for hydrological modelling and hydrographic mapping. Developed under the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS) and implemented by the European Environment Agency, it improves the current EU-Hydro v1.3, which has limitations in its logical consistency, resolution, and quality for modelling.
EU-Hydro 2.0 introduces advanced hydrological conditioning algorithms, ensuring better consistency and representation. It enables not only mapping, but also hydrological modelling, and environmental assessments such as river connectivity and human impacts - supporting stronger water resilience across Europe.
Planned for release by the end of 2026, the dataset is built on the Copernicus DEM at 10 m resolution (with 30 m support for non-EEA transboundary catchments). It integrates high-quality ancillary data on hydrography, land cover and infrastructure, alongside very high-resolution satellite data for validation and refinement.
The product suite provides a set of fully integrated layers. It includes key raster datasets - such as the hydrologically conditioned DEM (Hydro-DEM), flow direction (Hydro-DIR), and flow accumulation (Hydro-ART) - complemented by five core vector layers: river network (Hydro-NET), water bodies (Hydro-WBO), basins and sub-basins (Hydro-BAS), artificial hydrographic structures (Hydro-ART), and coastline (Hydro-COAST). A cartographically refined river layer for selected focus regions (Carto-NET) is also being developed.
All layers are designed to be interconnected, scalable, and fully consistent in their structure and logic. Independent validation using reference data and VHR imagery confirms strong overall performance, while ongoing harmonization improves consistency. The production approach emphasizes transparency, automation, and reproducibility, enabling efficient future updates and long-term usability.
While this presentation focuses on pan-European-scale hydrological modelling, it is particularly relevant in low-relief landscapes such as Denmark. In such environments, very small elevation differences strongly influence water flow, making hydrological modelling highly sensitive to DEM quality. The availability of a 10 m resolution hydrologically conditioned DEM enables more accurate modelling of surface water dynamics, flooding, and waterlogging, while better accounting for anthropogenic drainage systems. As a result, EU-Hydro 2.0 provides substantial added value for hydrological analysis and water management in low-gradient regions.
Presentation will be given in English.
