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 and the IGOS Coastal Theme in partnership with GOOS and GTOS

First Regional Workshop

Observing System Requirements for Managing and Mitigating the Impacts of Human Activities and Coastal Inundation in the Mediterranean Region

Outcome: Potential activities and products resulting from the Workshops include:

  • Initiation of the COastal Data Assimilation System pilot project (CODAS) and corresponding Integrated Coastal Decision Support System (ICoDSS) are two products.

  • Promotion of a better usage of the database of monitoring sites and networks for GTOS, i.e. TEMS (http://www.fao.org/gtos/tems/index.jsp) for coastal observing systems through registration of programs and sites.

  • Promotion of formal partnerships and linkages among the various programs represented at the Workshops.

  • Promote development of land-sea data assimilation schemes, building towards an integrated CODAS proto type with operational nowcasting & forecasting (short & long term) capabilities to support users.

  • Support development of standardized user interface tools (e.g, GIS) and integrated decision support systems for coastal management (e.g., ICoDSS) that can be used for short-term decisions as well as long-term planning
Heritage: This series of workshops will complement and build upon other GEO activities, including the GEO Inland and Nearshore Coastal Water Quality Remote Sensing Workshop held March 2007 in Geneva and other workshops that focus on improving the skill of forecasts of coastal inundation and storm surge; here we focus on predicting, managing and mitigating their impacts through more effective coastal zone management.