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A note on climate change adaptation for seaports: a challenge for global ports, a challenge for global society

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Abstract

With 80 % of world trade carried by sea, seaports provide crucial linkages in global supply-chains and are essential for the ability of all countries to access global markets. Seaports are likely to be affected directly and indirectly by climatic changes, with broader implications for international trade and development. Due to their coastal location, seaports are particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events associated with increasing sea levels and tropical storm activity, as illustrated by hurricane “Sandy”. In view of their strategic role as part of the globalized trading system, adapting ports in different parts of the world to the impacts of climate change is of considerable importance. Reflecting the views of a diverse group of stakeholders with expertise in climate science, engineering, economics, policy, and port management, this essay highlights the climate change challenge for ports and suggests a way forward through the adoption of some initial measures. These include both “soft” and “hard” adaptations that may be spearheaded by individual port entities, but will require collaboration and support from a broad range of public and private sector stakeholders and from society at large. In particular, the essay highlights a need to shift to more holistic planning, investment and operation.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the anonymous reviewers of this essay and the participants of the UNCTAD Ad Hoc Expert Meeting on Climate change impacts and adaptation: A challenge for global ports (29–30 September, 2011) for ideas, input, and review.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources (E-IPER), Stanford University, Y2E2 Building—Suite 226, 473 Via Ortega, Stanford, CA, 94305-2210, USA

    Austin H. Becker

  2. Det Norske Veritas, Barum, Norway

    Michele Acciaro

  3. The Kühne Logistics University, Hamburg, Germany

    Michele Acciaro

  4. UNCTAD, Geneva, Switzerland

    Regina Asariotis

  5. World Meteorological Organization, Geneva, Switzerland

    Edgard Cabrera

  6. KPMG, Canberra, Australia

    Laurent Cretegny

  7. International Transport Forum/OECD, Paris, France

    Philippe Crist

  8. University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Miguel Esteban

  9. Ethekwini Municipality, Durban, South Africa

    Andrew Mather

  10. NextPlan, Sonoma, CA, USA

    Steve Messner

  11. International Association or Ports and Harbors, Tokyo, Japan

    Susumu Naruse

  12. I.H. Asper School of Business, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada

    Adolf K. Y. Ng

  13. Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Potsdam, Germany

    Stefan Rahmstorf

  14. ICF International, Fairfax, VA, USA

    Michael Savonis

  15. School of Engineering and Built Environment, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, UK

    Dong-Wook Song

  16. International Finance Corporation, Washington, DC, USA

    Vladimir Stenek

  17. Department of Marine Sciences, University of the Aegean, Mytilene, Greece

    Adonis F. Velegrakis

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  1. Austin H. Becker
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  2. Michele Acciaro
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  3. Regina Asariotis
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  4. Edgard Cabrera
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  5. Laurent Cretegny
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  7. Miguel Esteban
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  8. Andrew Mather
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  9. Steve Messner
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  14. Dong-Wook Song
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  15. Vladimir Stenek
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  16. Adonis F. Velegrakis
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Correspondence to Austin H. Becker.

Additional information

Regina Asariotis views expressed in this essay represent those of the author and not necessarily those of the UNCTAD secretariat

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Becker, A.H., Acciaro, M., Asariotis, R. et al. A note on climate change adaptation for seaports: a challenge for global ports, a challenge for global society. Climatic Change 120, 683–695 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-013-0843-z

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