Administrative Boundaries (COD-AB)

Owned by FIS
Last updated: Oct 23, 2024
1 min read

Administrative boundary CODs include:

  1. Geographic boundaries in shapefile, geodatabase, and other formats, often including live geoservices. Some countries also have edge-matched administrative boundary variants. (See COD-AB-EM.)

  2. Gazetteers of feature names and P-codes.

COD-AB datasets can be linked by database or GIS to COD-PS datasets, when available using the P-codes as a key.

Boundaries and gazetteers reflect the country’s specific administrative hierarchy.

COD-AB datasets are adopted by the country or regional Information Management Working Group as the standard.

 

COD-AB datasets are GIS (Geographic Information System) layers that can be used for GIS mapping or analysis. COD-AB

COD-AB polygon layers

COD-AB lines layers

COD-AB file formats and distribution

 

COD-AB reviews and updates

COD-AB (and COD-EM) datasets should be reviewed every 12 months by the responsible Country Office or Regional Office, with the support of FIS.

The 12-month review process determines which of the following categories apply for each COD-AB:

  1. The country administrative structure has changed such that the COD-AB should be updated. 

  2. The COD-AB has errors that should be corrected. 

  3. New data has been discovered that could improve the COD-AB (such as more accurate boundaries or a deeper administrative level). 

  4. The COD-AB requires no changes. 

If a COD-AB belongs to any of the first three categories the responsible Country Office or Regional Office works with the support of FIS to implement the update. If the COD-AB is an ‘enhanced COD’ (or if the change it is a strategic opportunity to promote the COD-AB from ‘standard’ to ‘enhanced’) ITOS is brought in to verify, standardize, and provide geoservices for the updated version.

 

COD-AB dissemination

COD-AB datasets are disseminated in two ways:

Dissemination as HDX datasets.

COD-AB datasets (and all other COD datasets) are available on the Humanitarian Data Exchange (HDX). All HDX country pages (listings of datasets for a particular location) and other dataset listings have a “CODs” filter with “Standard COD” and “Enhanced COD” sub-filters.

 

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“CODs” filter and “Standard COD” and “Enhanced COD” sub-filters

Selecting these filters reduces the listings accordingly.

HDX COD-AB datasets typically include the following resources:

  • shapefiles of all layers

  • EMF files of all layers

  • geodatabases of all layers

  • tabular data

HDX COD-AB metadata typically includes

  • start and end-dates - defining the period for which the COD-AB boundaries represent (if ongoing) or represented (if requiring updates) the established, often legislated reality.

ITOS geoservices.