Overview: Global change, coasts and oceans

South Africa is likely to be particularly vulnerable to global change, given its aridity, highly diverse ecosystems and the high dependence on ecosystem services for water, agriculture, fisheries, forestry, tourism and others. Southern Africa is also influenced strongly by oceanic systems such as the southern oceans and El Nino. Global change refers to the interconnected set of phenomena, resulting largely from human interactions which have altered the environment over virtually the entire planet at an accelerating rate during modern times. It includes: Changes to the composition of the atmosphere and oceans (biogeochemistry and ocean acidification) The nutrient loading of the biosphere The global, regional and local climate The distribution and abundance of species The cover and use of the land surface The use of marine and coastal goods and services The size, location and resource demands of the world’s population, as well as its patterns of governance and economic activity. We focus on the following areas of research: Understanding a changing planet Observation and monitoring Long term environmental observation Earth observation, using remote sensing technologies Ocean dynamics around southern Africa Improved measurements of southern ocean dynamics Managing the drivers of coastal system dynamics Linking air, land and sea Coupled modelling of the earth system Ocean/atmosphere and land/atmosphere interfaces – improved characterisation and interactions Adapting the way we live to by providing scientific information to improve resilience and sustainability in a variable and changing environment Understanding vulnerability and building resilience Preparing for rapid change and extreme events. Key research projects are River-influenced Bights and Bays (RIBBS) Southern Ocean CO₂ Observation Programme Sea level rise Estuary protection South African Risk and Vulnerability Atlas Applied Centre for Climate and Earth Systems Science (ACCESS)

A user-friendly guide to the Integrated Coastal Management Act of South Africa DEA Marine and Coastal Development: Coastal Planning and Environmental Protection distribute this user-friendly guide free of charge. You can also download the pdf at soer.deat.gov.za/A_User_Friendly_Guide_to_the_ICM_Act_of_South_Africa_oKl-v.pdf.file Tackling the new Integrated Coastal Management Act The challenge of managing our coastal resources is becoming more and more complex. New legislation in the form of the Integrated Coastal Management Act, and a world that is changing in terms of population growth, development pressures and climate change exacerbate this situation. The CSIR recently workshopped issues around the new act at an information session in Durban, with presentations on understanding coastal ecosystems and socio-economic systems, and how these can be managed by means of existing and new integrated environmental management tools. View the presentations here