Port sustainability in Spain: the case of noise

Abstract

The Spanish port system consists of 28 port authorities (PAs) that manage 46 ports, which transported 563.5 million tonnes of freight and 46 million passengers in 2018. They are almost all located in urban environments. In all the ports, complex activities are being carried out that have serious impacts on the environment. One of the most important is noise emission, which poses a risk to natural ecosystems and, above all, to human health. This research focuses on the study of this problem for Spanish ports and is addressed from two sides: first, from an institutional perspective, namely identifying the sources of noise pollution and the prevention, intervention and control strategies during the 2011–2016 period, and, secondly, comparing this analysis and perspective from the point of view of the PAs with the environmental performance detected and reported by the stakeholders. The use, for the first time, of official information sources, verified and audited by the public entity Puertos del Estado, makes this analysis particularly relevant and reinforces the quality of the results. This research confirms the effectiveness of the environmental sustainability planning measures, included in the new port regulations established in Spain in 2010, regarding the mitigation of the impacts of noise pollution arising from port activities.