1. Context

Our planet is a multidimensional system made up of complex, constantly evolving interactions at different spatial and temporal scales. To understand these interactions, we need to collect and integrate different sets of data on physical, chemical, biological, social and economic systems. Together, these data provide the best possible description of the environment. These data are commonly georeferenced, i.e. they describe a location on the Earth's surface (i.e. geographically locatable) through a set of attributes. An environmental dataset is rarely interesting on its own, but rather demonstrates its full informational potential when used in conjunction with other datasets, enabling the actual state of the environment to be monitored and assessed at global, regional or local scales, and thus providing a better understanding of the complex relationships between them and ultimately enabling...