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Altered Landscape and Environmental Response to Transformations (ALERT)-2
Altered Landscape and Environmental Response to
Transformations (ALERT)-2: Coastal Monitoring, Preservation, and
Restoration
World-wide there is growing concern about the
intensifying migration of people to coastal areas where natural and human
induced disasters intersect with the human built environment. The recent tsunami
related devastation is but one warning of society's increasing risks along
coastal margins. The expansion of the human built environment along our coasts
necessitates a better understanding of how natural and built systems interact
and how future losses can be minimized. In addition, the catastrophic losses due
to one-time dramatic events such as typhoons, hurricanes, and tsunamis are
occurring in the context of global climate warming and predicted rises in sea
level.
The roundtable session brings together experts from to share
experiences, develop partnerships, and facilitate researcher, faculty and
student exchanges. Discussions will include all aspects of coastal monitoring,
preservation, and restoration. Monitoring discussions will focus on the melding
of real-time ground truth and remote satellite observing systems that transcend
the boundaries between the oceans and the terrestrial environments providing
holistic descriptions of coupled human and natural systems. The system
attributes to be measured and the temporal and spatial scales to be assessed are
important elements that must be defined to ensure that useful and timely data is
collected. Preservation discussions will focus on best practices to maintain
resources and minimize impacts while informing development decisions in a manner
that can be sustained in the future. Wise management practices, preserves, and
other conservation techniques will be discussed. Restoration discussions focus
on response efforts once disasters occur. Building codes and practices are
fundamental for preparing coastal regions for anticipated events and recognized
risks. Best practices both in prevention and response will be
considered.
The impact of coastal disasters on environmental system is an
issue for both countries. The roundtable discussions will identify areas in
greatest need of additional research, knowledge, and information that will
benefit from China-US cooperation and coordination. An explicit action plan and
timeline will be developed with to advance the group's agreed agenda. Both China
and the US have intensively developed coasts. Both nations' economies are
critically dependent on coastal infrastructure, with the coastal seas providing
significant resources to feed and house their populations. Further, both
countries are facing major decisions on how these resources are managed and how
multiple uses are balanced against the nation's needs. The sharing of
experiences, knowledge, and technologies will benefit decision-makers and
public. The development of a network of comparative study sites around the
worlds will facilitate the study of these difficult problems through the sharing
of results. The recent tsunami in the Indian Ocean has greatly raised awareness
in China and the US. While people across the world were shocked by the disaster,
they have begun to recognize that events of this type cause great losses every
year. In China, as in the US increased urbanization and industrial growth has
occurred in coastal areas, leaving these areas highly vulnerable to natural and
human induced hazards.
