Environmental sustainability and climate change effects: An investigation into ports’ response and readiness

Environmental sustainability and climate change effects: An investigation into ports’ response and readiness

Haza Vidal, J.

Bichou, K. (mentor)
Stive, M.J.F. (mentor)

Civil Engineering and Geosciences

Hydraulic Engineering

CoMEM - Coastal and Marine Engineering and Management

2010-06-30

The increase in trade and economies of scale has influenced ports in respect to the growth and services they provide. Ports as trade commercial centres, in which international markets and national economies meet, must start considering how the impacts of extreme climate change influence their port management and operations. This particular study focuses on extreme changes in climate that may affect the development, operations and infrastructure of ports. In particular, research has been done into sustainable mitigation plans that have been implemented by port authorities in relation to GHG emissions, energy consumption, fuel consumption, sea level rise and extreme weather protection and ice coverage, with the goal to analyse the potential environmental adaptability of ports operations to climate change effects. This study was based on a survey and case studies that provided primary and secondary data for the development of a comparative analysis among 10 different ports. The information gathered identified the range of measures and policies that ports are developing with a view to responding to climate change impacts. The study also uses Multi-Criteria Analysis to examine the degree of integration and adaptability of ports to climate change challenges, and the positive externalities such adaptations can bring to ports. In general 40% of the ports investigated in this project have implemented not only GHG emissions and energy and fuel consumption mitigation plans but have also conducted research into the vulnerability of the port to sea level rise and extreme weather. The MCA results indicate that it is important for ports to start considering climate change impacts and developing sustainable mitigation and adaptation plans for their port operations in order to bring benefits to the port and the surrounding areas. This project is part of an Erasmus Mundus International Masters Programme in Coastal and Marine Engineering and Management (CoMEM). This programme is integrated by five universities, Delft University of Technology (TUDelft), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), City University London, University of Southampton (SOTON) and Catalunya University of Technology (UPC) with the aim to allow students to gather global knowledge and experience in this field.

port operations
climate change
GHG emissions
sea level rise
energy consumption

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:f7e429a5-c107-41e6-9067-e45adc87ec80

Student theses

master thesis

(c) 2010 Haza Vidal, J.