CLIMATE CHANGE:
ITS IMPACT TO THE PORT
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What is Global Warming &
Climate Change
• Global warming refers to rising global temperatures and it
causes climates to change.
• The warming has resulted :
Increased global
average surface air
and ocean
temperatures
Increased weather
extremes i.e. severe
storms, typhoons
and torrential rains
Melting of ice in the
polar region
• Basically, global warming is the cause, climate change is the
effect.
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What is happening now
• The 4th assessment report by the Intergovernmental Panel
On Climate Change (IPCC) published in 2007 has warned
that the warming of the earth’s climate system is unequivocal.
• These events have become more frequent and intense in
many parts of the world, and Asia is particularly vulnerable to
these hazards.
• The past few years, have witnessed an increase in damage
due to the extreme weather events in Southeast Asia itself.
• Could it get any worse? Unfortunately, it can…
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OBSERVED CLIMATE CHANGE
• Climate change will affect ports and port-based
economies, depending on their geographic location and
the adaptive capacities of the ports and the communities
in which they are located.
• The complexity and potential risks require both the
scientific community and the port authorities to take an
active role to better understand when and how to
implement proactive adaptation strategies.
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No longer just for scientist…
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OBSERVED CLIMATE CHANGE
• To remain efficient and resilient, seaports must
anticipate the impacts of climate change and
proactively prepare for sea level rise, increased
flooding, and more frequent extreme storm events
(Hallegate 2008; PIANC 2008; UNCTAD 2008; EPA 2008).
• Climate change will result in number of general
impacts on navigation and harbor operation as well as
on related infrastructure.
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Potential Impacts of Climate Change
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Raise of sea level-
• According to PIANC, sea level rise would have no direct
impact on navigation but it would effect port infrastructure
and port structure.
– Global sea level has already risen by 10 cm to 20 cm in
the past century, and the pace of sea level rise appears
to be accelerating.
– The IPCC predicts that sea levels could rise 25cm to 58
cm by 2100, but in recent years sea levels have been
rising faster than the upper end of the range predicted.
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Potential Impacts of Climate Change
• The impact of sea level rise are as follows:– The rise in sea level may allow greater penetration of
wave energy to the coastline and into port, causing
increased coastal erosion in areas with a soft coastline.
– The elevation at which the wave force attack a structure
will increase the exposure of decks of wharfs and piers,
increase the corrosion rate and the degradation of
material designed for a particular range of sea level
conditions
– A change in high and extreme sea levels may reduced top
clearance between ships and bridges
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Example of breakwater barely coping with storm waves at present water levels
[source Aspects of Potential Climate Change Impacts on Ports & Maritime Operations around the Southern African Coast by Mr.
Marius Rossouw and Mr. Andre Theron CSIR, South Africa (Photo: A Theron)]
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Potential Impacts of Climate Change
– Another potential impacts on port structures include
changes in overtopping and even stability of breakwaters
due to increased force from wave action coupled with
attack at a higher level on a structure due to sea level rise.
– Increased sedimentation in harbors, inlets and channels
will result in the need for more maintenance dredging to
maintain exists access.
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1 METER RISE = LOSS OF NEW ORLEANS
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2. Changes in storm events and /or
frequency
– it may lead to decreased regularity of ports,
– increased downtime and the requirement for more storage
capacity at container terminal for use in times of closure.
– higher thunderstorm activity is expected in higher
latitudes, this would put higher demand on lightning
systems and electronics
3. Change in wind conditions
– According to PIANC an increase in wind speed have some
direct effects on navigation. Maneuvering through curved
narrow sailing channels would be more difficult
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• Related impacts of wind change include increased berthing
time and delayed departure time for ships at terminals
which may required larger areas for anchoring of waiting
vessels.
Advantage of this impacts are :
• An increase in the absolute levels of low and extreme low
sea levels will allow greater under keel clearance for
vessels
• Possibly reduce the need for dredging in low sedimentation
areas
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A wrecked oil platform washes
ashore in Alabama in the wake
of Hurricane Katrina.
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CONCLUSION
• Most ports do not have specific information about the types of
impacts that they can expect on their facilities or the probabilities
of different types of impacts occurring.
• The data that ports typically use for planning purposes do not
incorporate climate change forecasts.
• To help these and other ports assess their risk, more and better
data are needed, as well as better planning tools and methods.
• Asian ports need to better understand climate change and how it
may affect them.
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THANK YOU
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References:
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(1) PIANC (2008). Waterborne transport, ports and waterways: A review of climate change rivers,
impacts, responses and mitigation. EnviCom – Task Group 3, PIANC.
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Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)(2007), ‘Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation
and Vulnerability’
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Climate Change Impacts On International Seaports: Knowledge, Perceptions, and Planning Efforts
Among Port Administrators- Corresponding Author : Austin Becker
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Hallegate 2008; PIANC 2008; UNCTAD 2008; EPA 2008
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Planning for Impacts of Climate Change at U.S. Ports; Gallivan, Frank, Bailey, Kathleen, O'Rourke,
Laurence Matthew
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