Abstract
Seaports are located in vulnerable areas to climate change impacts: on coasts susceptible to sea-level rise and storms or at mouths of rivers susceptible to flooding. They serve a vital function within the local, regional, and global economy. Their locations in the heart of sensitive estuarine environments make it an imperative to minimize the impacts of natural hazards. Climate impacts, like a projected SLR of .6 m to 2 m and doubling of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes by 2100, will result in more extreme events at many seaports. To assess the current state of knowledge on this issue, we surveyed port authorities from around the world about how administrators felt climate change might impact their operations, what sea-level change would create operational problems, and how they planned to adapt to new environmental conditions. The planned rapid expansion of ports reported by the survey respondents indicates that adaptation measures should be considered as ports construct new infrastructure that may still be in use at the end of the century. Respondents agreed that the ports community needs to address this issue and most felt relatively uninformed about potential climate impacts. Although most ports felt that SLR would not be an issue at their port this century, sea-level rise was nevertheless an issue of great concern. Our results suggest opportunities for the scientific community
Highlights
The nature of their business locates seaports in one of the most vulnerable areas to climate change impacts: in coastal areas susceptible to sea-level rise (SLR) and increased storm intensity or at mouths of rivers susceptible to flooding. 90% of the world’s freight moves by ship (IMO 2008)
Our results suggest opportunities for the scientific community to engage with port practitioners to prepare proactively for climate change impacts on this sector
To remain efficient and resilient, seaports must anticipate the impacts of climate change and proactively prepare for SLR, increased flooding, and more frequent extreme storm events (Hallegate 2008; PIANC 2008; UNCTAD 2008; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2008)
Summary
The nature of their business locates seaports in one of the most vulnerable areas to climate change impacts: in coastal areas susceptible to sea-level rise (SLR) and increased storm intensity or at mouths of rivers susceptible to flooding. 90% of the world’s freight moves by ship (IMO 2008). The nature of their business locates seaports in one of the most vulnerable areas to climate change impacts: in coastal areas susceptible to sea-level rise (SLR) and increased storm intensity or at mouths of rivers susceptible to flooding. To remain efficient and resilient, seaports must anticipate the impacts of climate change and proactively prepare for SLR, increased flooding, and more frequent extreme storm events (Hallegate 2008; PIANC 2008; UNCTAD 2008; EPA 2008). The survey responses showed few significant differences between ports of different sizes or regions, but indicated that US Gulf Coast ports appeared to be the most prepared.
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