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 workshop series organized by the GEO Coastal Zone Community of Practice

AFRICA WORKSHOP
Strengthening Observing Systems Capacity for Managing and Mitigating the Impacts of Human Activities and Coastal Inundation in the African Region
2010, Location TBD

Format: Plenary sessions that provide guidance and charges for detailed breakout sessions toward developing an implementation plan to address user needs in this area, with development of supporting pilot projects.

• Day 1 highlights: Plenary that highlights the relevant observing needs and opportunities, summarizing the findings of a pre-workshop effort that will provide this user workshop with an initial list of potential phenomena of interest, variables and indicators, and existing observation capabilities, as well as identify the gaps in existing observing/modeling/decision-support systems. Also, invited speakers providing lessons learned on related existing coastal monitoring programs of the Pan-African Large Marine Ecosystems and successful regional programs such as the Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) and the Ocean Data and Information Network in Africa (ODINAFRICA). Then guidance and charges given to the breakout groups. The breakout groups will be tasked to (1) prioritize the identified gaps as above, perhaps with a focus on the peculiar needs of different regions of the continent and (2) review, refine and advise as to coastal observing system and decision-support system adequacy and needs.
• Day 2 highlights: Plenary with breakout group reports on coastal observing system and decision-support system adequacy and needs. Follow-on breakout discussions to further address the identified issues, as well as data management, integration, & communication in support of decision-making. These breakout sessions will develop the outlines of an observing and decision-support system that will fill the high-priority gaps, setting the stage for focused discussions on the design of the pilot CODAS and ICoDSS projects.
• Day 3 highlights: Breakout sessions toward development of pilot projects and other means of implementation. Brief afternoon plenary reports from the breakout groups, ending with an executive summary of where we are and the way forward.
• Day 4 - 5 highlights: Policy Forum for top level officials from government agencies and international institutions over water issues (lake, river and coastal systems), from primarily ECOWAS sub-region. Communique from Days 1 - 3 would be tabled for discussion and strategies for its implementation will be discussed. The Forum will discuss modalities for creating a Regional Marine Policy Centre of Excellence.