A note on climate change adaptation for seaports: a challenge for global ports, a challenge for global society
Austin H. Becker, Michele Acciaro, Regina Asariotis, Edgard Cabrera, Laurent Cretegny, Philippe Crist, Miguel Esteban, Andrew Mather, Steve Messner, Susumu Naruse, Adolf K. Y. Ng, Stefan Rahmstorf, Michael Savonis, Dong-Wook Song, Vladimir Stenek and Adonis F. VelegrakisAbstract
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.
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10584-013-0843-z
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