In July 2023, the CoastPredict programme officially launched its experiment, GlobalCoast. This initiative is set to bring CoastPredict’s objectives to life, channeling user-driven ingenuity into solutions that will redefine the future of coastal resilience.
Since CoastPredict’s inception in 2020, the leaders and members of the programme have shared a common ambition—to turn the vision of an integrated observing and prediction system for the global coastal ocean into a tangible reality for coastal communities and researchers worldwide. GlobalCoast now takes this shared ambition to the next level and the key to its success lies in the establishment of Pilot Sites across up to 20 diverse Regions of the Global Coastal Ocean.
The ultimate goal is to create globally replicable solutions, standards, and applications that enhance coastal resilience. Building on existing expertise from CoastPredict’s Focus Area projects and the latest advancements in coastal observation and prediction, GlobalCoast seeks to harness collective efforts to bring about essential transformation that will turn the vision of a more resilient coastal environment into a reality by the end of the Ocean Decade.
To achieve this ambitious goal, CoastPredict is looking to engage partners and projects across the world, encouraging their participation in this groundbreaking experiment. Everyone can propose a GlobalCoast Pilot Site, by completing the GlobalCoast Survey.
The survey will work to identify existing coastal gaps in stressors and vulnerabilities, assessing available work, infrastructure, and data from various initiatives, and integrating regionally relevant activities and aspirations for coastal resilience within the UN Ocean Decade community.
We got in touch with Nadia Pinardi, chair of the CoastPredict programme, to ask her about the experiment and the work behind this initiative.
Nadia, how did the idea of GlobalCoast come about?
The idea originated from the realization that we can accelerate the innovation for coastal resilience using testbeds in different coastal regions that share similar or opposite characteristics. The closer collaboration between different regions of the world will benefit all these areas. Understanding the interconnectedness of ocean dynamics and coastal areas is crucial. We will work on a platform that will give the opportunity to accelerate existing initiatives for coastal resilience, while contributing to the implementation of globally relocatable solutions.
Why do you think people should get involved in the experiment?
GlobalCoast gives an opportunity to collaborate with leading experts and benefit from cutting-edge science and technological advances in observing, modelling, AI and end-user product development. The CoastPredict/GlobalCoast community focuses on transformational science and technology for coastal resilience. The vision shared by this community creates a remarkable international network devoted to exchanging ideas and advancing science.
What would you like to achieve with this experiment?
The GlobalCoast Experiment aims to “demonstrate the value of an integrated and fit-for-purpose coastal observing and prediction system that delivers innovative products and services for coastal resilience in collaboration with local stakeholders.” It is established to implement the innovations and share them with the global community.
An important aspect of the experiment involves creating an innovative digital infrastructure where data and information collected from different Pilot Sites are made available and accessible to everyone, not just the community of a specific test site. This will facilitate synergy between different Pilot Sites and accelerate progress in different regions, without the need to wait to test the validity of the collected information and system advances.
Is there any prerequisite for proponents of pilot sites to be aware of?
No, there are no specific requirements to participate in the survey. If you have or you are interested in building observational or predictive capacity in coastal regions, you should join our efforts and complete the survey!
For further information, you can refer to the GlobalCoast Explainer document and Explainer video on the GlobalCoast webpage. The survey will be open until October 4th, 23:59 UTC, providing ample time to contribute to this significant initiative.
You can find out more about the experiment and its goals by checking out this flyer.