Environment and development in coastal regions and in small islands

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Tasks for coastal resources assessments and oil spill sensitivity mapping in the Arab States of the Gulf

6. Project concept summaries

Concept summaries for five projects are outlined below. It should be noted that each project described assumes (at least) partial completion of the 'lower level' projects in the 'project pyramid' described earlier.

6.1 Protection priority index maps

Objective(s)

To derive a national digital data set and/or a hardcopy atlas and/or sheet paper maps showing coastal oil spill protection priority indices. These "value-added" maps, derived from the coastal resources dataset (project 2), would integrate, in an objective and systematic manner, the disparate interests of all coastal zone stakeholders. These maps would be presented in a format appropriate to an incident control room. The maps would present this information in the form of a simple colour-coded 10 point protection priority index classification. (i.e. 1 low priority through 10 high).

Activities

Hold consultations, discussions and possibly workshops to achieve consensus on relative values of environmental components; develop the capacity to assign, rank and weight for protection the themes that collectively define the coastal zone; assign local (context specific) sensitivity and importance factors to individual features; implementation, in a GIS, of automated procedures to calculate protection priority indices from the values and sensitivities. This would lead to the automated generation of a map sheet series for the entire coastline of the protection priority index maps - this being shared with project 2 (mapping of natural resources).

Deliverables

Digital datasets and/or hard-copy atlas showing protection priorities (e.g. 1 low up to 10 high) for the entire coastline and nearshore marine environment (or at least those areas most susceptible to oil spills).

Timescale

1-5 years depending on the length of the coastline, the area and heterogeneity of the coastal and nearshore territory, the staff and equipment resources available.

Physical resources

GIS-based database for storing feature values with geographic elements of the natural resource database; large format plotters and professional quality graphics software; access (and/or budget) for high quality printing press for atlas production.

Human resources (skills)

Local expertise or external consultants for GIS services and for weighting and ranking coastal resources and for evaluating the sensitivity of individual locations and species to oil. In order that the protection indices are supported, it will be important for representatives from every local stakeholder group to participate in the assignment of individual feature values.

Possible UNESCO support

Project planning, guidance and coordination in the area of sensitivity assessment and value assignments; expertise in performing GIS analysis and automated cartography. 

Estimated total costs (per GCC country)

$1-3 million * (depending on length of coastline, the area of territorial waters and the extent of currently available resources). This figure assumes the GIS facilities already exist or were made available in Project 2 below.

* These figures and the figures for the other Project Concept Summaries are very approximate (order of magnitude) estimate, and will require further elaboration and verification.

Possible funding options

UNESCO core funding, with additional funds from national/local Government Agencies and/or commercial/private sector sources.

6.2 National coastal resources database

Objectives

To survey, classify, map and store in a structured digital format the natural and man-made elements of the coastal zone.

Activities

Compilation of a comprehensive national biological and physical resource data as follows:

1. Establish a GIS-based data storage, retrieval and processing facility. This comprises computing hardware, software, policies and trained personnel. Details of how this will be achieved will depend on the extent and suitability of existing equipment, skills and IT infrastructure. This activity would need to be completed early in the project.

2. Already existing datasets should be identified and evaluated for their compatibility with the coastal classification schemes used in the project and may be incorporated if they can prevent unnecessary work.

3. Create comprehensive spatial (i.e. geographic) datasets of the natural and man-made components of the whole coastline and near shore waters. This will involve conversion/capture of existing datasets and new survey work. The maps will be generated from remote sensing imagery complimented by extensive "ground truth" field survey. Laminated hardcopy image maps of a size manageable in the field will be produced; these will feature a high-density grid and will be used by the field teams. Initial field visits with the hardcopy imagery will 'train' the team in interpreting the imagery, later in collecting information not visible in the imagery and, after the interpretation is complete, in confirming the accuracy of categorisation. The field teams will annotate the hardcopy maps during their field visits; such information will be transcribed into the geographic database. Once the field team are confident of their image interpretation skills then the coastal zone classification will be completed on the computer screen. Due to the low level of accuracy that can be expected from automated classification techniques (for the classes required) delineation of the majority of classes will be done by human eye. Digital image enhancement techniques may however be applied to aid in the delineation of features.

4. Identification, from the resulting datasets, of areas of especially high importance as candidates for Biosphere status.

Deliverables

Comprehensive unified national map-format datasets to provide major inputs for coastal resources assessment, oil spill sensitivity mapping and for determining national coastal protection priorities.

Timescale

1-5 years depending on the length of the coastline, the area and heterogeneity of the coastal and near shore territory, the staff and equipment resources available.

Physical resources

Vehicles, boats, diving and coastal zone field survey equipment; multi-spectral remote sensing imagery plus aerial photographs (as available) and image processing equipment (or contracted services); also GIS software, hardware, printing and data capture peripherals access to large volume, high quality printing facilities (or contracted services) for atlas production. The scale and type of IT equipment will depend on the size of the coastal zone and the degree to which the systems will be centralised or distributed. The latter depending largely on the degree to which inter-organisational data sharing is achievable.

Human resources (skills)

National and international consultants for survey, data collection, GIS-based data compilation and analysis. Consultants or local expertise in establishing GIS and database systems.

Possible UNESCO support

Scientific/technical; organisation and/or sponsorship of meetings and workshops; project planning; guidance and coordination.

Estimated total costs (per GCC country)

$2-4 million (depending on size of country and structural complexity of the coastal zone; a substantial percentage of the total costs would be reutilised in Project 1). The investment in GIS equipment would find numerous applications in Coastal Zone management after completion of the current project; and this should be integrated into the project from the outset.

Possible funding options

UNESCO core funding, with additional funds from government agencies and/or commercial/private sector sources.

6.3 Guidelines for standards in data collection and processing

Objectives

To create regionally optimised standards for coastal zone resource data collection and processing in relation to coastal resources assessment and oil spill protection priority mapping.

Activities

1. Perform a region-wide review and evaluation of coastal zone categorisation schemes and methodologies; identification of region-specific issues, common threads and problematic issues.

2. Preparation of a regionally applicable suite of coastal zone categorisation survey and classification protocols. Such protocols should comply with existing (e.g. International Maritime Organisation) protocols, but be tailored for the specifics of the Gulf and Red Sea. In practice this is likely to involve a series of technical workshop and evaluation trials.

3. Preparation of a step-by-step guide to technology-independent data acquisition, recording, storage and processing methodologies for coastal zone protection priority mapping.

4. Obtain formal approval and adoption of the resulting standards as national policy within the environmental Agencies of each country in the region.

Deliverables

Manual on data collection and processing for coastal resources assessment and oil spill sensitivity mapping, for use at national level within the Gulf and Red Sea.

Timescale

2 years.

Physical resources

• (minimal)

• Limited version of resources required in project 2 for evaluating testing data collection and classification protocols. Existing facilities are likely to be sufficient.

Human resources (skills)

National and international consultants.

Possible UNESCO support

Scientific/technical support; organisation and/or sponsorship of meetings and workshops; project planning; guidance and coordination. Potentially an internet-based discussion group to facilitate communication between workshops.

Estimated total costs (per GCC country)

$200,000 (plus publication costs for a single book for GCC region)
Costs for hosting a series of technical workshops.

Possible funding options

UNESCO core funding, with additional funds from government agencies and/or commercial/private sector sources.

6.4 Coastal habitat guide to promote coastal environmental awareness

Objectives

To produce one or more coastal habitat guides, as a tangible output from the national datasets and resources mapping; to provide background information for oil spill contingency planning and operations; to help promote environmental awareness and to serve as a reference book for research and teaching.

Activities

Conduct a preliminary survey of the coastline, at a scale and resolution required by each GCC member state; ground truth satellite maps and/or aerial photographs and collect data on common species in each habitat and document with photographs (to augment existing information); store data in digital environmental database; access/analyse data to produce habitat guide(s) for specific portions of the coast, or for entire national coastline, as required; commission national and international consultants to contribute chapters to comprehensive ecological book (based largely/wholly on existing information, with no/little need for field survey).

Deliverables

Year 1-2: Habitats and Coastal Infrastructure guide, with descriptions and photographs of each main theme, together with the common species and assemblages.

Years 2-3: Comprehensive ecology book, including more detailed species composition, probably with consideration of oil pollution effects.

Timescale

Up to 3 years.

Physical resources

Satellite images (Landsat TM/Spot or higher resolution), aerial photos (if available) enhanced, analysed and classified. Off-road vehicles, survey equipment, boat and diving equipment. GIS for storing the data in different layers.

Human resources (skills)

2-3 marine ecologists and 2 field/logistics assistants; IT specialists for image enhancement, data storage and analysis. Training and UNESCO support as outlined in Capacity Building (below).

Possible UNESCO support

Scientific/technical consultants.

Estimated total costs (per GCC country)

Simple field guide $200,000 - $500,000 (depending on shoreline length).
More detailed coastal and marine ecological book $300,000.

Possible funding options

UNESCO core funding, with additional funds from government agencies and/or commercial/private sector sources.

6.5 Capacity building in coastal resources assessment and oil spill sensitivity mapping

Objectives

To assist GCC member states expand national capacity in all aspects of coastal resources assessment and oil spill sensitivity mapping; to exchange experiences and technical information; to further develop regional (GCC) understanding of oil spill contingency planning and operations needs.

Activities

'Rotating' workshop, held in different GCC country each year; attendance of a few students from each GCC country at a Gulf oil spill event (observe real-life situation involving oil spill assessment and combat); support for national in-country postgraduate studies (MSc, PhD) as well as overseas opportunities; UNESCO prize for a study of oil spill assessment/coastal protection.

Deliverables

As for Activities (above); also scientific papers, reports, dissertations and proposals.

Timescale

3-5 years.

Physical resources

Venue and logistics (flights, accommodation) for rotating workshop; logistics (flights, accommodation) for observations at Gulf oil spill event; funding for postgraduate studies (nationally and overseas).

Human resources (skills)

'Trainers' (international and national consultants) and 'trainees' (above-average grade BSc holders) for rotating workshops; trainers and trainees for observations workshops at Gulf oil spill event; students suitable for postgraduate training in national and overseas institutions.

Possible UNESCO support

Scientific/technical; organisation and/or sponsorship of meetings and workshops.

Estimated total costs (per GCC country)

$400,000.

Possible funding options

UNESCO core funding, with additional funds from government agencies and/or commercial/private sector sources.

Figure 7.Undisturbed salt marsh

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