Amid recent report of Mumbai listed among 12 coastal cities that would face the onslaught of global warming coupled with rising sea-levels and several parts of south Mumbai are predicted to ‘sink’ in the Arabian Sea by 2050, with enormous economic implications, the Mumbai Port is in the process of commissioning a study for a comprehensive understanding of the impact of sea level rise to avoid adding vulnerability to the site. The Mumbai Port Trust Chairman Rajiv Jalota said, ‘’The goals of this study are to improve the understanding of cumulative effect of sea level rise, vertical land motion and land inundation on the site and translate this understanding into a report for the Mumbai Port Authority into a form that is useful for planning solutions for the site.’’
The proposed study is quite timely and crucial especially when Coastal zones of Mumbai are experiencing coastal inundation due to flash floods and storms. Furthermore, the continuously rising sea levels exacerbate the existing hazards as well.
- Coastal zones of Mumbai are experiencing coastal inundation due to flash floods and storms. Furthermore, the continuously rising sea levels exacerbate the existing hazards as well
- According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) projections, 60% of Mumbai’s year will comprise high heat days by 2040, where temperatures can exceed 32°C
- Five most significant threats to the Port in general included Extreme Temperature, Extreme Precipitation, Cyclonic Storms, Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storms and Sea Level Rise.
‘’Mumbai Metropolitan Region(MMR) is home to two Major Ports in the country – the Mumbai Port Authority which is primarily handling bulk, break bulk, Crude oil, POL, chemicals, car logistics, etc. while Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority is focussed on containers,’’ said Jalota. He further added that Both these ports and associated shipping will play a key role in the mitigation and adaptation towards climate action of the city and the region. Ports on the coasts are a highly vulnerable commodity and their resilience to such risks and shocks are very relevant in the present scenario.The Eastern Waterfront of the Mumbai Port spans over 850 ha. This part of the coast also supports a dense population and a variety of commercial activities.
Moreover, the proposed study is also important when coastal areas in India, and around the world for that matter, are also amongst the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, because in addition to the impacts such as heatwaves, droughts, and extreme rainfall events, all of which are common to hinterland regions as well, coastal regions are increasingly experiencing sea-based threats such as far-more frequent and intense cyclonic storms and the long-term challenge of sea-level rise.
According to Jalota, the frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones will increase throughout the course of this century, primarily driven by the relentless rise in sea-surface temperatures due to global warming. Ports and Shipping hold a critical place in the development of Coastal Cities, generating economic benefits such as employment, access to markets and industrial ecosystems.
While new deep-water ports with specialized facilities have emerged to cater to the rising number of bigger ships, older ports have gradually declined to become feeder ports and Port administrations have gone on to allow the transformation of old port areas for city based activities such as leisure, business.
Jalota has listed five most significant threats to the Port in general including Extreme Temperature, Extreme Precipitation, Cyclonic Storms, Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storms and Sea Level Rise.
Cyclonic Storms
As per a report published by National Maritime Foundation along with Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), Over the last 10 years, a total of 14 severe cyclonic storms either made landfall over India or affected the Indian peninsula. Out of these, 6 cyclonic storms struck the west coast of India. The Tauktae storm is the most recent in mind which occurred in 2021.
Standard operating procedures dictate that during any cyclonic storm the port is to halt all operations, all vessels inside the port are asked to move outside to the anchorage area, all cargo-handling equipment is to be anchored and secured, cargo-storage facilities are to be secured appropriately (depending on the cargo type), and all staff members, except essential staff, are to be asked to vacate the port premises.
This ‘shut-down’ period could last for a few hours to a couple of days, depending on the intensity and speed of the cyclonic storm. The post cyclonic recovery period could also last for a few hours to a couple of days depending on the severity of damage.
If climate action increases the frequency of cyclonic storms, the cost to the Port would be lost business days as well as the possible damage to assets.
Mumbai Port has revisited its Safety guidelines, and has also released Safety guidelines for floating infrastructure to promote climate resilient infrastructure on the Harbor waters. Additionally, multiple small measures have been taken to ensure least damage during cyclonic activity such as replacement of asbestos sheds with concrete roofs.
Extreme Temperature
According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) projections, 60% of Mumbai’s year will comprise high heat days by 2040, where temperatures can exceed 32°C.
- The port areas of Mumbai are primarily warehouses and industrial areas which have significant heat island effect. Some of the areas are also occupied by low-income communities.
- To mitigate the issue of heat islands, Mumbai Port is working on multiple initiatives such as an Ecopark for the protection of mangroves as well as green bamboo plantations across vacant port areas.
Green Ports and Shipping
In November 2022, the National Centre of Excellence for Green Port and Shipping was launched which aims to develop a regulatory framework and alternate technology adoption road map for Green Shipping to foster carbon neutrality and circular economy (CE) in the shipping sector in India.
On May 10, 2023, to meet the larger vision of achieving the Zero Carbon Emission Goal, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways has launched ‘Harit Sagar’ the Green Port Guidelines.
Harit Sagar Guidelines – 2023 envisages ecosystem dynamics in port development, operation and maintenance while aligning with ’Working with Nature’ concept and minimizing impact on biotic components of harbor ecosystem.
It lays emphasis on use of Clean / Green energy in Port operation, developing Port capabilities for storage, handling and bunkering Greener Fuels viz. Green Hydrogen, Green Ammonia, Green Methanol / Ethanol etc.
Green Initiative at Mumbai Port
Mumbai Port is a part of the Quad Shipping Task Force – a collaborative effort by the ports of Quad countries – LA, Yokohama and Sydney ports – to identify green shipping corridors for piloting solutions.
Mumbai Port is now obtaining 90% of its electricity for Port operations from renewable sources. We have already established 1.4 MW of rooftop solar power for this purpose. Additionally, Mumbai Port is exploring other renewable energy projects such as Tidal energy solutions.
For reducing emissions from Ships at Berth, Mumbai Port is studying the feasibility of providing Shore Power to Ships. The first phase is focussed on Cruise ships coming to the Mumbai International Cruise Terminal. In future, the ships coming to the Oil Terminal will also be provided with Shore Power.
In its Vision 2047, Mumbai Port has envisioned itself as a Green Port run on Green fuels – a key ingredient to mitigate climate action. However, adaptation for climate resilience will be the next step in this direction.
What can we learn from the leaders of Seaport Resilience?
The peninsular state of Florida encounters multiple storms each year, each event having an impact on multiple ports. This has turned Florida Seaports into leaders in Seaport Resilience.
The seaport infrastructure in Florida is capable of withstanding impacts from high winds, storm surge and severe flooding from rain events.
Florida has established a systematic coordination among essential personnel to ensure all aspects of a seaport’s resiliency plan are effectively put into action. Successful coordination with surrounding local governments is ensured, and seaports are included as part of the local and state critical infrastructure. This ensures that access to and from the port and essential utilities such as power, water and sewer are not interrupted, or are available as soon as possible following the event.
Seaports face a unique challenge for long-term planning. While certain measures can immediately be implemented to increase seaport resilience to weather events; immediately addressing sea level rise by raising infrastructure heights, such as docks, railways, and roads, would have significant adverse effects on present-day cargo handling efficiency.
Resiliency to potential sea level rise is a complex issue for seaports given the significant costs and service life of maritime infrastructure and that much of this infrastructure will require repair or replacement before projected sea levels will have measurable impacts upon them. As seaports are required to address potential environmental issues, including sea level rise, within their master plans, current and ongoing analysis of sea level rise projections are being included in the master planning process, along with necessary upgrades to infrastructure to improve long term resiliency.
‘’It is no longer sufficient to consider past trends alone. Future projections of climate-change impacts must be built into the design parameters during the planning stages. This would require concerted efforts between the external agencies, local-climate modellers, and port authorities,’’ said Jalota.
