Maritime transport accounts for 80% of world trade volumes and remains the backbone of international trade and globalisation, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) Review of Maritime Transport 2015.
The report points out that maritime transport is challenged by climate change mitigation. “While curbing greenhouse gas emissions remains urgent to ensure manageable global warming levels, the effects of climate variability and change – irrespective of the causes – are already being felt in different parts of the world, often in the poorest countries which are less able to cope.”
Rising sea levels, extreme weather events and rising temperatures are likely to directly and indirectly affect seaports, owing to their location in low-lying coastal areas.
International trade is becoming increasingly reliant on road and rail infrastructure and networks; therefore, building the maritime transport systems’ resilience to climate change is essential for long-term sustainability.
