Latest News

Climate Change Impact on Blue Economy Infrastructure

It is vital to look at the impact of climate change on national infrastructure especially those that are gateways for the Blue Economy such as seaports,” says Dr. Nirmal Shah, Nature Seychelles’ Chief Executive. 

“Why is this important? Without a functional seaport, Seychelles becomes impoverished. The nation imports nearly 80% of its necessities, primarily through Port Victoria, and its primary export, canned tuna, is shipped out via this port. Let’s not forget fisheries, tourism and other sectors that rely on our port,” says Shah

Seaports play a vital role in the global supply chain, serving as critical gateways to access international markets and the Blue Economy.

With around 80% of global merchandise transported by sea, ports are essential assets, especially for developing countries which handle approximately 55% of goods loaded and 61% unloaded worldwide.

However, ports are particularly vulnerable to various climatic hazards due to their locations along coasts or in low-lying estuaries and deltas. They face risks from rising sea levels, storm surges, waves, winds, and flooding.

Enhancing the climate resilience of ports is vital, particularly for those at significant risk and with limited capacity to respond, such as Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

Shah points to several studies that demonstrate the vulnerability of seaports, in particular  a new paper entitled ‘Climate change and seaports: hazards, impacts and policies and legislation for adaptation’ https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s44218-024-00047-9

He says that Nature Seychelles and its partners will implement a new project in 2025 to look at exactly all of that for seaports of Seychelles.