While adaptation strategies in ports may vary
(for example, retreat/relocate, protect, and/or accommodate, the ultimate objective is to enhance
the resilience of facilities and systems. This may be
achieved by, for example, changes in operations,
management practices, planning activities, design
specifications and standards. This may involve
integrating climate change considerations into
transport and port investment and planning decisions,
as well as into broader transport and port design
and development plans. A number of factors could,
nevertheless, potentially delay or pose challenges to
adaptation action. Firstly, as ports involve multiple
players in the decision-making process, it may be
difficult to proceed effectively with adaptation plans
and strategies.80 Secondly, factors such as a high
perception of uncertainty, limited information about
the cost-effectiveness of adaption options and about
the cost of inaction, the need for realistic predictions of
impacts and for science-based policy formulation that
take into consideration the specifics of the region
and resource intensiveness and costs could all, either
individually or in combination, hamper adaptation
action in ports