Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the questions we get asked most — access, licensing, formats, and contributing.
What is the Climate Action Data Hub?
A quality-assured catalog of climate and agriculture datasets across CGIAR Climate Action. Every dataset is harmonized to one metadata standard, openly licensed, and distributed in cloud-native formats, so it can be discovered, cited, and used the same way.
Do I need an account to access the data?
No. All published data is openly accessible over HTTPS and S3 — stream it directly with tools like xarray or rioxarray, or download individual files. There is no registration, API key, or quota.
How is the data licensed?
All data in the Hub is required to carry a license to align with FAIR principles. Each record carries the license its producer released it under, often CC-BY-4.0, but not always. The license is shown on every dataset page with a link to the full terms. What you may do with the data follows from that license, so check the one on the dataset you are using. Whichever it is, cite the dataset as given in its citation block.
What formats does the Hub use?
Cloud-optimised formats: Zarr for multi-dimensional data cubes and Cloud-Optimised GeoTIFF (COG) for rasters. That means you can read just the spatial or temporal window you need without downloading whole archives.
How do I cite a dataset?
Every dataset page has a copy-ready citation and, where one exists, a DOI. Cite the original producers (for example FAO or IFPRI) alongside the Hub record.
Can I contribute a dataset?
Yes. Convert your data to a cloud-optimized format, author a metadata record against the Hub metadata standard, and submit it for review. Two reviewers check scope, metadata, and licensing before publication — see the contribute page for the full path.
I found a problem with a dataset — where do I report it?
Open an issue on the Hub’s GitHub organization, or email the point of contact listed on the dataset page. Records are versioned, so corrections are tracked and attributed.
Something missing? Ask on GitHub or read the wikis.