Land Directly Controlled: Impervious Surfaces (OI7560)

This metric is intended to capture the area of land directly controlled by the organization that is covered by surfaces that do not allow water (particularly stormwater) to flow through the surface and into the ground. Examples of impervious surfaces include streets, roofs, parking lots, walkways, or any other surfaces and structures made of asphalt, concrete, plastics, or similar materials.

In developed-market contexts, organizations may source these data from existing maps. For example, in the United States, see the National Map (https://nationalmap.gov/small_scale/mld/impe100.html). In emerging-market contexts, free satellite mapping tools (such as Google Earth) can be used to create a map of roads as a starting point for these data. For a more detailed map, third-party technical support may be necessary.