Description
General Information
Title: Towards the Resilience of Mediterranean Ports
Location: Piraeus, Greece, Limassol, Cyprus & Valencia, Spain
Core themes: Extreme weather events, Heatwaves, Energy & Pollution
Sectors involved: Energy, Ecosystems, Pollution, Port and maritime infrastructure and operations, Water waste, Port staff, access and roads
Key stakeholders: PPA, FV, CUT
Context and Challenges
Background: The Port of Piraeus is one of Europe's leading seaports and the world's second-largest maritime cluster, excelling in coastal shipping, cruise operations, and containerized cargo. Actively engaged in 14 EU-funded projects, the port is committed to becoming a sustainable, “green,” and financially self-sufficient hub.
The Port of Valencia stands as Spain’s foremost Mediterranean port for commercial traffic, serving as a key maritime gateway for trade across the Iberian Peninsula. Its strategic location and infrastructure make it a vital link for regional and international commerce.
The Port of Limassol is Cyprus’s primary seaport, handling 90% of the nation’s imports and exports. It also plays a crucial role in passenger traffic, facilitating cruise operations and ferry connections with Greece, Israel, Egypt, and Lebanon, reinforcing its status as a dynamic regional hub.
Key challenges: The key challenges identified in port operations include rising fuel prices, high energy costs, and issues related to energy supply and infrastructure. A lack of expertise in sustainable energy solutions further complicates efforts to transition towards greener operations. Environmental concerns such as pollution, disruptions to the energy ecosystem, and the impact of extreme weather conditions also pose significant risks. Heatwaves, in particular, affect port operations, directly impacting terminal users and passengers. Additionally, climate change has far-reaching consequences on port infrastructure, staff, and overall operational efficiency, raising concerns about long-term resilience and sustainability. Climate-induced damage to infrastructure such Rising sea levels, heavy rainfall, and storm surges weaken quay structures, damage warehouses, and increase maintenance costs.
Why was this Case study selected for ARSINOE:
The Mediterranean is acutely exposed to extreme weather events, sea-level rise, and heatwaves that represent substantial threats to port infrastructure, operations, and supply chains. Piraeus (Greece), Valencia (Spain), and Limassol (Cyprus) are among the most important nodes of international shipping, and their resilience to climate-related disruption is critical for regional economic stability and sustainable development.
Case Study-2 – Mediterranean Port was chosen to strengthen climate adaptation and resilience through the following actions: - Involving stakeholders through collaborative engagement to assess vulnerabilities, engage with key stakeholders of the industry, and co-design solutions tailored to the specific needs of the Mediterranean ports. - Using systemic innovation approach (SIA) methods to co-develop comprehensive adaptation strategies covering technological, environmental, governance, and financial dimensions. - Applying a data-driven approach comprising vulnerability analysis, climate modelling, and predictive analytics to detect risks, design mitigation options, and enhance preparedness. - Increasing operational effectiveness and infrastructure resilience to respond to port closure due to extreme events, supply chain disruptions caused by disrupted energy supply, structural damage by making the physical port assets resilient, and ensuring employee well-being during extreme heatwaves. - Promoting transboundary collaboration, as climate adaptation of ports requires joint planning by neighbouring countries to facilitate the continuous function of maritime trade and supply chains.
Objectives
Main goals: The project aimed to significantly reduce health risks associated with extreme weather events such as high summer temperatures, storm waves, and flooding by developing tailored adaptation pathways for seaports. Additionally, it sought to enhance the well-being of adjacent communities while fostering a shift in mindsets among stakeholders and the wider port society. The initiative aspired to replace the perception of ports facing challenges in isolation with a collaborative approach, emphasizing that effective solutions could only emerge through creative synergies.
Expected outcomes and benefits: Upon completion, the project was expected to enhance the resilience of seaports by mitigating climate-related risks and ensuring smoother operations. Improved adaptation strategies lead to safer and more efficient port infrastructure, reducing disruptions caused by extreme weather. A notable change in stakeholder behaviour was also expected to be observed, fostering greater cooperation and proactive engagement in sustainability efforts. Additionally, increased public awareness encourages broader community involvement in climate resilience initiatives, strengthening the long-term sustainability and adaptability of ports in the face of environmental challenges.
Methodology & Approach
Innovative solutions developed, tested and implemented:
The project was structures based on Systems Innovation Approach (SIA). In particular, the ARSINOE project uses a tripartite strategy:
- Integration of the technological, business, governance, and environmental dimensions into social innovation.
- Utilizing the Climate Innovation Window (CIW) to link end-users with innovative solutions.
- Encouraging cross-fertilization and scalability, fostering replication across regions
Innovative approaches were conceived, tested, and implemented.
Climate vulnerability assessments are made to identify major risks around port operations and infrastructure. Monitoring systems to track extreme weather effects and implement early warning mechanisms.
Stakeholder engagement and participatory processes:
- Living Labs (LLs) within Piraeus, Valencia, and Limassol were platforms used for policy dialogue between policymakers, port authorities, and citizens.
- Collaborative workshops to co-create adaptation pathways for climate resilience.
- 2 Info days engaging key stakeholders of the sector
- Participation to project events
OTI solution selected and used:
In the context of ARSNOE project, Piraeus Port Authority SA and WaltR teamed up together to deploy the latest technologies in an effort to address the necessities of our ERA in GHGs and air pollutants monitoring and mitigating. One of the latest tasks in 2024 was to realise the field campaigns of DIORAMA tool in Piraeus Port in Greece.
DIORAMA tool is a multi-layered approach aimed to refine emission source attribution and support future mitigation strategies for air quality improvement in port areas. DIRORAMA focuses in 4 pilar areas:
- Vehicle-Emissions Correlation – Using AI-based object detection models and pollutant sensors to analyze how vehicle traffic, particularly cars and trucks entering and exiting ferries, contributes to localized pollution levels.
- Maritime Emissions and Ferry Activity – Monitoring the movement, size, and operational state of ferries to understand their impact on air quality, including the role of engine activity in emissions.
- Cargo Port Pollution Mapping – Deploying mobile air quality sensors to measure spatial pollution distribution within the cargo area, correlating emissions with meteorological factors such as wind direction and speed.
- Satellite data – Collection and analysis of satellite data for air pollution and emission in the greater area in and around the Port of Piraeus. This contributes to understanding the emissions potential sources of the wider area and their contribution to air pollution.
Key Results & Achievements
Summary of main outcomes:
The ARSINOE project successfully mainstreamed climate adaptation measures into Mediterranean port infrastructure design, thus making the ports resilient against intense meteorological events such as heatwaves, flooding, and storm surges. Several tools, manual, studies and models elaborated, providing a set of solutions to Port Administrators.
Impact on local communities and ecosystems:
Implementation of climate resilience measures has served to minimize the risks associated with the health of port workers, residents, and visitors alike under circumstances involving excessive heat.
Increased air quality monitoring and pollution reduction initiatives benefit the surrounding communities, thus leading to better public health outcomes.
Increased protection of ocean ecosystems can be ensured by curbing emissions and improving waste handling procedures in ports.
Lessons learned:
Active stakeholder engagement involving port authorities, government departments and local communities played a crucial role within the collaborative formulation and implementation of adaptation strategies.
Policy and regulation-related challenges are administrative and legal restrictions including preliminary authorization schemes and old-fashioned regulations that have hindered the implementation of some adaptation measures.
The need for continuous training and exchange programs for port operators and personnel was highlighted to ensure effective sustainable adaptation measures.
Financial constraints remain a major barrier toward the implementation of wide-ranging resilience strategies with the need for specialized funding mechanisms and incentives for the support of sustainable port operations.
Replicability & Scalability
Potential for replication in other regions:
The replication potential of the project will be based on the production of a real-time early warning system and a lifecycle smart digital support tool with applications and solutions given on environmental and socioeconomic terms that can be adopted by different ports and other sectors/regions. Also, the project could potentially upgrade the quality of life (air & water pollution, traffic, noise) of surrounding communities and have a positive impact on the international economy, as the seaports are part of the global maritime transport system, connecting sea freight to inland freight transport modes.
Key success factors and barriers to consider:
Key success factors:
- Valorise created knowledge and tools,
- Key stakeholders’ engagement,
- Creating a Climate Resilience Hub for Med-Ports for decision making and strategy planning.
Potential barriers are related to the difficulty engaging stakeholders or interested parties, being unable to proceed with solutions due to fragmental legislative barriers or policies. Additional barriers are related to data availability and collection. Both barriers are currently growing due to COVID-19. Other risks identified are related to low data/models quality. To mitigate these risks, data sets quality and models uncertainty will be measured, quantified and assessed. Moreover, alternative models for seasonal forecast and procedures and gap imputation have been defined
Next Steps & Sustainability
How results will be maintained beyond ARSINOE:
With the completion of the project, the health risks associated with extreme events including storm waves and flooding should be significantly minimized whereas the well-being of the adjacent communities should be enhanced. In addition, the change in the behavior of both the stakeholders and the members of the wider port society should also be visible. The perception of dealing with a problem locally and isolated will be replaced by the belief that only through creative synergies can effective solutions emerge. Besides, it is expected to increase public awareness on issues related to the smooth operation and resiliency of ports, as well as a willingness by people to get engaged in the implementation of relevant actions. A relevant ambition expressed by the 4-Seas Initiative of UNSDSN targets the engagement of all stakeholders in co-designing a SIA pathway for the transition to socially, culturally, economically, environmentally, and geopolitically sustainable development in the Euro-Asia Region embracing the 4-seas.
Future collaborations or follow-up initiatives:
- Capitalisation of project results,
- Exploitation of other funding opportunities (including also new Horizon 2020 calls)
- Developing ARSINOE vol.2
- Collaboration with PPs in new project for climate change resilience
Contact & Further Information
Key contacts: Conrad Landis, Athens University of Economics and Business
PPA SA: Dimitrios Spyrou, Pavlos Filippidis (Living Prospects Ltd)
Website: https://arsinoe-project.eu/
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