Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation for Coastal Transport Infrastructure: a Compilation of Policies and Practices

Ports and other coastal transport infrastructure (i.e. coastal roads, railways and airports) will be particularly affected by climate variability and change. The projected increase in sea level will cause permanent and / or recurrent flooding of seaports, coastal airports, and other transport infrastructure in many regions. Given the strategic role of seaports and other key coastal transport infrastructures as part of global trading system, enhancing their climate resilience is a matter of strategic economic importance. This report provides a compilation of policies and procedures which has been prepared to bridge the knowledge gap on climate change impacts and adaptation of coastal transport infrastructure.

Structure of the report consists of four chapters which are complemented with an overview of other reports, studies, and guidelines that illustrate approaches that may help develop appropriate climate change adaptation plans and measures, especially at the facility level. Background and scope of the topic dealt with by the report is outlined in the Chapter 1. Chapter 2 focuses on summarizing the various impacts of climate change on coastal transport infrastructure, recent trends and projections of climate indicators of relevance to coastal zones as well as approaches to risk-assessment and adaptation. This information is intended to help readers further understand the scale of the problem and the urgent need for appropriate adaptation measures. Chapter 3 provides examples of international, regional, and national legal and regulatory approaches that are relevant to climate change impact assessment and adaptation of costal transport infrastructure, while Chapter 4 presents policies or plans that have been developed at regional or national level aimed at fostering resilience of coastal transport infrastructure.