Global Coastal Characteristics (GCC): a global dataset of geophysical, hydrodynamic, and socioeconomic coastal indicators

Abstract

More than 10 % of the world's population lives in coastal areas that are less than 10 m above sea level (also known as the low-elevation coastal zone – LECZ). These areas are of major importance for local economy and transport and are home to some of the richest ecosystems. At the same time, they are quite susceptible to extreme storms and sea level rise. During the last few years, numerous open-access global datasets have been published, describing different aspects of the environment such as elevation, land use, waves, water levels, and exposure. However, for coastal studies, it is crucial that this information is available at specific coastal locations and, for regional studies or upscaling purposes, it is also important that data are provided in a spatially consistent manner. Here we create a Global Coastal Characteristics (GCC) database, with 80 indicators covering the geophysical, hydrometeorological, and socioeconomic environment at a high alongshore resolution of 1 km and provided at ∼ 730 000 points along the global ice-free coastline. To achieve this, we use the latest freely available global datasets and a newly created global high-resolution transect system. The geophysical indicators include coastal slopes and elevation maxima, land use, and presence of vegetation or sandy beaches. The hydrometeorological indicators involve water level, wave conditions, and meteorological conditions (rain and temperature). Additionally, socioeconomic indices related to population, GDP, and presence of critical infrastructure (roads, railways, ports, and airports) are presented. While derived from existing global datasets, these indicators can be valuable for coastal screening studies, especially for data-poor locations. The GCC dataset can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8200199 (Athanasiou et al., 2024).