Global coasts as a new frontier – GCNF

Coasts are more than just a boundary between land and sea, representing the intersection of physical, social, and economic processes that determine both a substantial part of the global economy and its vulnerability to climate change.

Coastal areas support rich ecosystems, a substantial part of the global population, and countless economic activities: 12 of the world’s 15 largest cities and 40% of humans call coastal areas their home, approximately 90% of freight trade passes through coastal ports. And yet 11% of people living in these regions are directly and severely exposed to hazards connected with climate change.

With a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach, the Program sees in coastal areas a strategic research direction, enhancing its research for economically beneficial and viable coastal ecosystem restoration that improves coastal protection, biodiversity, and carbon absorption.

This involves the development of multidisciplinary digital twins of the global coastal ocean, integrating new satellites and in-situ observations (including citizen science), and developing advanced modeling and artificial intelligence methods to provide tools, information and solutions for decision-makers.