Global warming already impacting shipping

Increased storm activity and surges within harbours are signs that global warming is affecting the productivity of southern African ports.Port infrastructure and low-lying coastal cities are also threatened by rising sea levels.Reliefweb reports that African coastlines have experienced a steady rise in sea levels for four decades. Regionally, the Mozambican ports of Beira, Maputo and Matola have been identified as being at the most risk of f looding due to rising sea levels.“Mozambique’s transport infrastructure is highly vulnerable to climate change due to the projected increase in f looding, the low proportion of paved roads, their limited interconnectivity, and the vulnerability of ports to cyclones and storm surges,” according to a report by the African Climate Foundation.Cape Town has also been identified as one of the ports most affected by climate change. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) estimates that the Port of Cape Town has lost an average of 1 200 operational hours a year over the past few years due to predominantly wind challenges.Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Alliance for Collaboration on Climate and Earth Systems Science (Access) programme to launch a programme to gain greater understanding of the wind challenges and to identify solutions. ER