Society's Need for Resilient Ports
Resilient, low-carbon ports are essential for societal prosperity in an increasingly unpredictable world. They facilitate connections between people and supply chains, safeguard and enhance the environment, and offer opportunities for thriving communities despite facing various challenges.
The global community recognizes the importance of resilient ports as a cornerstone for economic stability and environmental sustainability. This framework aims to guide action toward transforming port performance through ten strategic goals across three dimensions:
Global supply chains experience severe disruptions due to multiple challenges, including port-related issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This highlights the critical role of integrating port operations with customer activities and underscores the need for environmental sustainability and social value delivery. With increasing frequency, severity, and complexity of disruptive forces, there is a need to prepare for anticipated threats and respond to unpredictable ones, necessitating a shift towards resilience.
Climate change acts as a key driver for port resilience, presenting physical, political, and economic challenges. An integrated approach to managing physical climate risks, recognizing the level of uncertainty and risk of maladaptation, serves as a foundational strategy for climate adaptation. This approach can also facilitate a broader, more holistic approach to resilience.
Collective action across the port ecosystem, involving governments, investors, civil society, and port users, is essential for realizing port resilience. The framework encompasses actions aimed at empowering communities, enhancing disaster response, aligning policies and strategies, integrating resilience into port governance, and protecting natural ecosystems. It encourages collaboration among stakeholders to catalyze necessary action at scale.
Adapting to climate change and other disruptions requires a comprehensive approach that addresses the multifaceted challenges faced by ports. By implementing the outlined goals, the framework aims to transform port performance, ensuring they remain functional and sustainable amidst unforeseen challenges. Collaboration and integration across stakeholders are crucial to achieving these objectives and fostering a resilient, low-carbon future for global trade and local communities.