Climate change adaptation guidelines for ports, Enhancing the resilience of seaports to a changing climate

As ports are operational hubs for the logistics supply chain, it is appropriate for ports to undertake an assessment in partnership with key logistics providers and /or local governments. While climate change may impact ports locally, it is often disruptions to the supply chain and local infrastructure that compound disruptions at the actual port, emphasising the need to work collaboratively on a broader climate risk and adaptation strategy. However, several barriers to climate adaptation have been recognised, including inconsistency between organisational planning timeframes (5 – 15 years) compared with climate projections of 30 – 90 years; as well as the uncertainty of local climate projections leading to decision-makers delaying action until there is perceived to be more certainty. To help address these concerns, this report proposes a hybrid “risk / vulnerability” approach to understanding and adapting to climate change. That is, consideration of current day vulnerabilities to extreme weather events, integrated with an assessment of future climate risks. This guidance document distils some of the key research findings in support of decision-making. These insights can inform and strengthen individual port assessments, and be used to test assumptions held by ports. While developed for Australian harbours, it is also relevant for European port cities.