This indicator maps and analyzes major cities within the Amazon region defined by the Amazonía Forever Program, focusing on urban areas with populations equal to or greater than 50,000 inhabitants in 2020. The methodology is based on the DEGURBA (Degree of Urbanization) classification system, which uses a grid-based approach to identify urban settlements. 

Methodology 

The indicator employs a systematic grid-based classification where the territory is divided into 1km x 1km cells. Urban centers are formed by contiguous grid cells with a density of at least 1,500 inhabitants per km² and a total population of at least 50,000 inhabitants. These settlements are classified as "Urban area city" in the DEGURBA typology. 

Sources and References: 

• GHSL (Global Human Settlement Layer) for population data 

• GADM for administrative boundaries 

• OpenStreetMap (OSM) for geographical reference 

• Amazon region boundaries from IDB Amazon Forever Program   

Process 

Data processing involves overlaying population grids from GHSL with administrative boundaries and applying density thresholds to identify contiguous urban areas. Settlements crossing national borders are included in their entirety when geographically located at the Amazon frontier. At the borders of the Amazon, the settlement requires a minimum intersection area of 0.3 km² for assignment to the amazon area. 

Key Attributes: 

• Settlement name (unique identifier) 

• Total population 2020 

• Area in km² (calculated based on a 1 km x 1 km grid) 

• Population density (inhabitants per km²) 

• Classification: "Urban area city" 

References: 

Maffenini, L., Schiavina, M., Melchiorri, M., Pesaresi, M., & Kemper, T. (2020). GHS-DUG user guide. In GHS-DUG user guide. Publications Office of the European Union.