Study shows main climate threats in 21 Brazilian public ports

In Brasilia on November 22, ANTAQ (the national waterway transport agency) and the German Cooperation for Sustainable Development, through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, released a survey of the main climate threats, risks, and impacts caused climate change and the ranking of 21 Brazilian public ports analyzed under the greatest current climate risk.

The executive summary “Climate Change Impacts and Risks on Brazilian Coastal Public Ports” shows that windstorms are the most critical climate threat for the national port sector. Seven ports already have high or very high risk in relation to this aspect. By 2050, that number could jump to 16.

Among the ports most threatened by gales are those of Imbituba (SC), Santos (SP), Recife (PE), Rio Grande (RS), Salvador (BA), Paranaguá (PR), and Itaguaí (RJ). According to the study, the Pernambuco port facility, for example, will have a windstorm climate risk of 0.872 in 2030 and 1.000 in 2050, considering the worst emission scenario (see table below), if attention is not given by the port administration in order to avoid possible losses in the future arising from the lack of investment in adaptation measures.

On the other hand, the ports of Vitória (ES), Niterói (RJ), Itajaí (SC), and Angra dos Reis (RJ) were the facilities that presented the lowest risk of being affected by windstorms. The Espírito Santo port installation, by way of illustration, presented an index of 0.288 in the current scenario. In 2030, this number will be 0.357 and 0.396 for the worst emissions scenario in 2050, if action is not taken.

The study was based on an agreement signed with the German Agency for International Cooperation last year. The document is one of the products of the partnership and will serve to prepare public policies aimed at the waterway sector and possible adaptation measures to be implemented to increase resilience against the impacts of climate change.

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