Introduction

The partners in the international Navigating a Changing Climate initiative are conducting a survey to collect information about the effects of extreme weather events on seaports and inland ports.

The purpose of the survey is to gather information from port operators around the world to improve understanding of the consequences and costs of extreme meteorological and/or oceanographic events.  The survey includes questions on port or waterway closures, delays and downtime, and on clean up, maintenance, damage repair and other measures.  It also considers wider issues, for example the role of warning systems.

Results from the survey will be used in an aggregate format; individual port or waterway data will be kept strictly confidential.

Why is the survey needed?

Climate change represents an increasing risk not only to business continuity but also to life, property and the environment. Waterborne transport infrastructure will therefore need to adapt and to become more resilient – not only in relation to slow onset changes such as in temperature, precipitation or sea level rise, but also to changes in the frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events. 

In order to make informed decisions about the best adaptation approach, and to justify the additional costs of strengthening resilience, an understanding of the likely consequences and costs of inaction is needed. The possible financial or business implications of extreme events are not always easy to foresee and in any case are by their nature unpredictable.  Developing a sector-wide understanding of the possible consequences of such events is therefore important.

The collected data

The questions in the survey are deliberately generic, both to make it easy to complete the survey and to maintain confidentiality. 

The data collected will be held by the International Association of Ports and Harbors on behalf of the Navigating a Changing Climate partner associations.  Responses to the survey will be presented in an aggregate format, providing a new resource for use by the wider navigation infrastructure sector, helping seaports and inland ports make the right decision for their own business.

The partners in the Navigating a Changing Climate initiative would therefore be very grateful if you would complete this survey and share your experiences