CLIMATE & CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTUREExtreme Storms and Flood Events Cause Damage Worth Billions to Ports – and They Are Most Disruptive to Small Island Developing States
Shipping ports are crucial for the global economy. But ports, by their nature, are located in coastal areas or on large rivers and are exposed to natural hazards such as storms and floods as a result. Scientists refer to the physical damage caused by natural hazards and the monetary loss associated with port closures and reconstruction as “climate risks”. 1,340 of the world’s largest ports in terms of trade flow are vulnerable to climate risks.
Shipping ports are crucial for the global economy. They handle the majority of trade, are industrial and transportation hubs and provide employment. But ports, by their nature, are located in coastal areas or on large rivers and are exposed to natural hazards such as storms and floods as a result.
Natural hazards can cause damage to ports and their surrounding infrastructure, often disrupting a port’s operation. Hurricane Katrina, a category five storm that made landfall on the southern US coast in 2005, forced the US ports of New Orleans, Mobile and South Louisiana to close for up to four months. The ports together handled almost half of the country’s agricultural exports at the time.
Scientists refer to the physical damage caused by natural hazards and the monetary loss associated with port closures and reconstruction as “climate risks”. Recent research conducted by my colleagues and I analyzed the climate risks facing 1,340 of the world’s largest ports in terms of trade flow, including Rotterdam in western Europe, Houston in the US Gulf of Mexico and Singapore and Shanghai in Asia. We estimate the total climate risk to ports, most of which is attributed to tropical cyclones and river flooding, to be worth US$7.6 billion (£6.2 billion) each year.
Large ports in Asia, the Gulf of Mexico and western Europe face the highest damage costs. But, although smaller in absolute terms, asset damage and trade losses are likely to be most disruptive in small island developing states such as Guam in the western Pacific.
The Cost of Natural Hazards
Our research combined a global database of port infrastructure assets with detailed information on natural hazards and local “marine extremes”. Marine extremes refer to factors including wind speeds, waves and air temperatures that are specific to particular locations.
We found that 86% of all ports studied may be impacted by more than three types of natural hazard each year, while 50% could be exposed to four or five. Marine extremes are instead likely to cause operational disruption at around 40% of all ports.
The damage caused by natural hazards varies across all of the ports studied. The risk of damages exceeding US$10 million each year affected 160 ports. Yet 21 ports, including Houston, Shanghai, Lazaro Cardenas in Mexico and Rouen in France, are at risk of annual damage exceeding US$50 million.
