December 2009

Coastal GTOS: Priorities, Status and Potential

Directions

Robert R. ChristianEast Carolina University

Outline• Context for CGTOS

• Priorities

• Accomplishments, status, connections and potential directions

Coastal Observing SystemsCoastal Observing Systems

GCOS

GTOS GOOS

The UN Coast

C-GOOS (COOP)

C-GTOSC-GTOS

Coral Reef programs

Land and freshwater

Oceans and coastal seas

Atmosphere

IGOS Coastal Theme

GEO Coastal Zone Community of Practice

Other activities

Primary Goal of Coastal GTOS

To detect, assess and predict global and large-scale regional change associated with land-based, wetland andfreshwater (and when appropriate transitionalwaters) ecosystems along coasts.

Strategic design and phase 1 implementation planhttp://www.fao.org/gtos/pubs.html

• Mature system to interface with CGOOS– Four key issues of concern– >70 variables– Including socio-economic variables

• Five immediate, priority products to – Initiate system – Establish improved capability– Provide proofs of concept– Advertise the program

Two stages of implementation

Issues of Concern Population dimensions, land

use/land cover and critical habitat alteration (B, C, D);

Sediment delivery (D); Water cycle/water quality (B, C); Effects of sea level change,

storms and flooding (C).

Mature System (to interface with CGOOS)

Proposed Initial Products of C-GTOSProposed Initial Products of C-GTOS

• Enhancement of TEMS• Distribution and rate of change of population,

urbanization and land use in the coastal environment (B, C, D)

• Vulnerability of ecosystem services in deltaic systems (B, C, D)

• Management of conservation and cultural sites in the coastal zone (B)

• Distribution of sites appropriate for analyses of delivery systems (D)

Coastal variables & Sites added The list of coastal variables result of efforts by the Coastal GTOS scientific panel, through the development of the C-GTOS Plan, identifying variables that best describe monitoring activities taking place at TEMS sites dealing with coastal issues. Variables are grouped according to the four priority coastal issues addressed by C-GTOS:

Sediment loss and delivery Water cycle/water quality Effects of sea level change, storms and

flooding Population dimensions, land cover/land

use and critical habitat alteration

Deltas Priority ProductDeltas Priority Product

World Deltas Network

Initial Products of C-GTOS through GLCN Initial Products of C-GTOS through GLCN

1) digital elevation data to perform geophysical analysis of the delta

2) use of land cover and in situ data to determine ecosystem extent and function

3) analysis of threats and vulnerability of ecosystem services.

1

2

3

Potential link to Delta Research And Global Observation Network (DRAGON)

• The DRAGON partnership is creating an international community of practice to share data on the great deltas and rivers of the world and to develop comparative models and visualization tools in order to facilitate ecological forecasting regarding climate change and development that ultimately helps in guiding decision making.

Conservation of Cultural and Conservation Sites(Sentinel Systems in Observing Systems)

• Selected and limited number of systems to assess response to global and large-scale regional change and promote programme.

Christian, R. R., and S. Mazzilli. 2007. Defining the coast and sentinel ecosystems for coastal observations of global change. Hydrobiologia 577: 55-70. (see Hydrobiologia 583:385 for

erratum on order of authorship from original. It should read Mazzilli and Christian)

Potential networks of sites

• ILTER

• MAB

• MedWet

• TNC

• Ramsar

• World heritage

• Etc.

Initial Product of CGTOSInitial Product of CGTOS

Table 3. Number of global program sites located within various coastal area delineations. Percentage of total number of program sites is indicated in parenthesis (%).

 Coastal area delineation TEMS RamsarUNESCO -

MABUNESCO -

WH

Within 5km of the coast 291 (13%) 592 (43%) 98 (22%) 169 (19%)

Within 10km of the coast 374 (17%) 670 (48%) 121 (27%) 210 (23%)

Within 50km of the coast 678 (31%) 861 (62%) 177 (40%) 333 (37%)

Within 100km of the coast 931 (43%) 907 (66%) 197 (44%) 388 (43%)

Less than 100m in elevation 500 (23%) 803 (58%) 113 (25%) 246 (27%)

Within 100km of the coast and less than 100m elevation 462 (21%) 770 (56%) 106 (24%) 231 (26%)

Total number of program sites21681

(100%)1384

(100%) 448 (100%) 901 (100%)

Wetland Inventory and Partnerships(Ramsar and MedWet)

Of the 250 sites 69% are within 100 km of the coastline and 36% are within 5 km of the coastline.

C-GTOS Delivery System Network in Mediterranean & Black Sea Region

Information collected on 127 sites

Link to LOICZ

IGOS Coastal Theme

The IGOS-P Coastal Zone Theme Report: The Theme Report

provides the basis for the work of the GEO

Coastal Zone Community of

Practice.

GEO Coastal Zone Community of Practice

• The GEO Coastal Zone Community of Practice (CZCP)• The CZCP brings together scientific and non-scientific experts

in an effort to support coastal zone management through utilization of Earth observations and derived products. The CZCP focuses both on research and practical applications related to coastal zone management.

• The CZCP interacts directly with the User Interface Committee (UIC) of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO).

• A main activity of the CZCP is the organization of a series of regional workshops addressing the decision support through Earth observations for integrated coastal zone management.

GEOSS Support for Decision-Making in the Coastal Zone:

Managing and Mitigating the Impacts of Human Activities and Natural Hazards in the Coastal

Zone

A series of (regional) GEO Workshops organized by the GEO Coastal Zone Community of Practice

• June 2008 - Mediterranean Region (Greece)• February 2010 – Africa (Benin)• 2010– Northern Africa (Egypt)• Sep/Oct 2010 – Americas (Puerto Rico)

Overview of potential future• Important role in liaising with other coastal

programmes in promoting regional OS– GOOS– LOICZ– GEO CZCP– Ramsar and partners– DRAGON– Coastal lagoon networks– US IOOS

• Develop deltaic change products

• Contribute to coastal vulnerability products and white papers

General recommendations for observing system sustainability:

• Sustainable systems need cultivation. Positive feedback mechanisms are required.

• Governments are unlikely to provide sustained support without connection to human wellbeing. Observing systems must provide clearly articulated value to society beyond “preserving nature.”

• Local monitoring programs in isolation have a significant probability of being non-sustainable. Redundancy among monitoring programs (resilience) should not be discouraged.

• Information management plays a central role and must target a timely delivery of products to address environmental problems appropriately.

• Sustainable observing systems in the developing world are the largest

challenge to global coverage.

Adapted from: Christian, R. R., P. M. DiGiacomo, T. C. Malone, and L. Talaue-McManus. 2006. Opportunities and challenges of establishing coastal observing systems. Estuaries and Coasts 29: 871-875.