Coastal Gtos. Strategic Design and Phase 1 Implementation Plan: Global Terrestrial Observing System.

The complexity and intensity of human use of coastal ecosystems represent a challenge to earth observations. This document presents the strategy developed by a panel of scientific experts to establish a Coastal Module of the Global Terrestrial Observing System (C-GTOS) to meet this challenge. The primary goal of C-GTOS is to detect, assess and predict global and large-scale regional change associated with land-based, wetland and freshwater ecosystems along the coast. The first sections of the document describe the design for a mature observing system and integration with other systems, contributing to global management programmes, political instruments and research activities. In the sections following, details are provided on the five products that implement this strategy during the initial phase of the programme and a discussion of milestones for development of a mature system are also described.