Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation for Coastal Transport Infrastructure

Book excerpt: Given the strategic role of seaports and of other coastal transport infrastructure as part of the global trading system and the potential for climate-related delays and disruptions across global supply chains, enhancing the climate resilience of key transport infrastructure is a matter of strategic economic importance. Legal and regulatory approaches, as well as policies and plans are going to be key to efforts at facilitating effective risk and vulnerability assessments and providing a supportive framework for adaptation action at all levels. Guidance, standards, best practices, methodologies and other tools in support of adaptation are urgently required, and targeted capacity building is going to be critical, especially for the most vulnerable countries. This includes SIDS, which depend on their ports and coastal airports for food and energy needs, external trade and - crucially - tourism, which typically accounts for a major share of GDP. Against this background and drawing on UNCTAD's related work, since 2008, this compilation of policies and practices has been prepared to contribute to bridging a knowledge gap with regards to climate change impacts and adaptation for coastal transport infrastructure. The compilation presents examples of legal and policy approaches, as well as of reports, studies and guidance to support climate risk, vulnerability and impact assessment, and the development of effective adaptation response measures for coastal transport infrastructure, with a view to informing and inspiring policy makers, national authorities, transport managers, infrastructure owners, and other interested stakeholders in their efforts.