LONDON
\nSome of the world\u2019s largest ports may be unusable by 2050 as rising sea levels hit operations, and efforts to speed up decarbonisation of the maritime sector and bring in new technology are vital, a study showed on Friday.
\nWeather-related disruptions are already impacting ports across the globe. These include a drought which is hampering operations in the Panama Canal, a top waterway.
\nThe Global Maritime Trends 2050 report, commissioned by leading shipping services group Lloyd\u2019s Register and the independent charity arm Lloyd\u2019s Register Foundation, looked at future scenarios
\n\u201cOf the world\u2019s 3,800 ports, a third are located in a tropical band vulnerable to the most powerful effects of climate change,\u201d a Lloyd\u2019s Register (LR) spokesperson said.
\n\u201cThe ports of Shanghai, Houston and Lazaro Cardenas (in Mexico), some of the world\u2019s largest, could potentially be inoperable by 2050 with a rise in sea levels of only 40 cm.\u201d
\nOther key ports including Rotterdam are already under pressure, the report said.
\n\u201cCountries will need to invest in increasing the efficiency and resilience of their ports and logistics infrastructure to keep up with growing demand for imports and consumption,\u201d the report said, which was authored by think tank Economist Impact.
\nPorts highly susceptible to rises in sea levels such as Shanghai could establish flood defence systems similar to Holland\u2019s Maeslant Barrier and London\u2019s Thames Barrier, the LR spokesperson said.
\n\u201cThis would negate the need to constantly raise existing floodwalls every decade, which is a short-term and costly solution,\u201d the spokesperson added.
\nShipping accounts for nearly 3% of global CO2 emissions.
\nThe industry is actively cutting its emissions by reducing its fossil fuel consumption, the LR spokesperson said, adding that it remains fragmented.
\n\u201cThe average shipowner owns circa five ships. As a consequence, not all players are good at gathering data.
\nThere can also be a reluctance to share data. Forecasting relies on having access to solid and relevant datasets.\u201d
\nThe report was launched ahead London International Shipping Week, which starts on Sept. 11.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LONDON Some of the world\u2019s largest ports may be unusable by 2050 as rising sea levels hit operations, and efforts to speed up decarbonisation of the maritime sector and bring in new technology are vital, a study showed on Friday. Weather-related disruptions are already impacting ports across the globe. These include a drought which is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":354741,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-354712","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n