The above analysis highlights a number of port issues that require special attention and include in particular concerns relating to infrastructure (age, containerization-related requirements, berthing priorities, maintenance and vulnerability); and equipment (adequacy and maintenance). These are summarized below.
(a) Infrastructure
Age:The age of some port infrastructure and superstructure, often combined with poor maintenance, means that their structural integrity is compromised. At the very least this means that restrictions on vessel sizes berthing alongside the infrastructure need to be imposed and/or weight restrictions on cargo and vehicles enacted. Moreover, the state of the infrastructure may require rehabilitation, reconstruction or relocation of the facility.
Containerization:Port infrastructure facilities in many SIDS were constructed before the advent of the container. Consequently, the deck loadings, terminal design and layout (including space allocated to warehousing and storage spaces) do not meet the requirements for the rapid handling of containers.
While a number of ports are taking action to remedy these shortcomings, further improvements can be made. In this respect, ports need to ensure that they have adequate berth lengths, quay apron areas, internal road access, and container storage areas.
Maintenance: Adequate maintenance of port infrastructure is essential to ensure that the assets continue to provide the services for which they were designed and so that they do not deteriorate more rapidly because of the postponement of maintenance. In most grant-aided or loan projects, the responsibility for repairs and periodic maintenance lies with the recipient port or country. However, in many cases such maintenance is not undertaken. In the CARICOM region, for instance, ECLAC noted that,
“While the coverage of infrastructure in CARICOM can be considered as acceptable, a major problem has been its maintenance.”35A continuing challenge for CARICOM ports (especially smaller island ports) is the acquisition of financing for capital and maintenance projects. In the Pacific, the ADB’s regional technical assistance project on “Improving the Delivery of Infrastructure Services in the Pacific” assessed the maintenance issues in the ports of eight countries. For Papua New Guinea, Tonga and Vanuatu it noted a number of significant maintenance issues (see table 3.23).
Berthing priorities:Tourism has become an increasingly important contributor to the economies of SIDS.
Amongst other changes, this has led to increased calls of cruise ships. In SIDS without dedicated cruise ship berthing facilities, cruise ships are generally given priority berthing at cargo handling facilities. As a result, the cargo handling process is delayed which increases the costs of imports and reduces export competitiveness.
Separation of cargo and passenger services is desirable for safety and amenity. In some cases countries have found locations for passenger terminals that have more central locations. A case in point is Barbados which has been facing a significant challenge as cargo ships are forced to wait until after cruise vessels sail in the afternoon to commence their load and discharge operations. Work has begun on a new state-of-the-art cruise terminal, expected to cost over $300 million, being built in Barbados with the capacity to berth some of the world’s largest cruise ships. The proposed facility will separate cruise and cargo activities, thereby addressing concerns about the two competing for limited space within the port.
Vulnerability: The approach channels, anchorages and port areas of many SIDS are particularly vulnerable to maritime accidents arising from grounding and/or sinking of vessels as well as collisions of vessels with each other or with port infrastructure. This arises because of narrow approach channels which can become obstructed in the case of grounding or sinking. It also arises because ports often only have one berth for cargo handling which, if damaged, becomes unusable thereby severing the country’s lifeline. Associated with such accidents are the risk of oil spills and the limited technical and financial resources of SIDS to remove sunken or damaged vessels. Whilst these risks cannot be eliminated the probability of their occurrence can be reduced through the installation of appropriate navigational aids and regulations that, for example, require vessels to proceed to sea in the event of cyclonic weather.
(b) Equipment
Adequacy:The efficient handling of containers requires a minimum of equipment to move containers from the ship’s side to the stacking area as well as moving containers in the stacking area or out of the port area. There are a number of different subsystems in the movement of containers, the capacities of which need to be matched. For example, if a ship’s crane has a cycle time of say four minutes (it takes four minutes to hook on the container, lift it to the quay, unhook the container and return to lift off the next container) 15 containers per hour can be handled. However, if there is a tractor trailer system with a cycle time of say 12 minutes (to take the container from the ship’s side to the stacking area and return to the ship’s side) then it can only handle five containers per hour. The overall productivity of the system is, in such a situation, only five containers per hour. One solution to this problem would be to increase the number of tractor trailer units. However, in many cases financing is an issue. A cost-benefit analysis may conclude that with low traffic volumes the additional investment is not warranted.
Maintenance:In addition to adequacy of equipment, there is also an issue of maintenance. Lack of funds, spare parts and maintenance plans as well as insufficient skills are often an obstacle to adequate maintenance. Clearly, there is a need to develop appropriate maintenance schedules, keep an adequate stock of spare parts, set aside sufficient funds and ensure that maintenance staff receives the right
training. An associated issue is when different donors give different brands of equipment requiring in principle separate sets of spare parts and reducing the ability to interchange (cannibalize) parts between different pieces of equipment.
Table 3.23 Maintenance issues in selected Pacific SIDS
Source: Asian Development Bank, REG: Improving the Delivery of Infrastructure Services in the Pacific, Technical Assistance Consultant’s Report, Project Number: 38633, December 2007, http://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/project-document/65495/38633-reg-tacr.pdf.
IV. CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS, DISASTER RISKS AND ADAPTATION ACTION
The geographical location and topological features of SIDS makes them extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and natural hazards.36Many SIDS face the impacts of strong winds, heavy rainfall, storm surges and wave action from hurricanes, cyclones or typhoons; while from geologically related natural hazards they suffer the impacts of rupturing of the earth’s surface, ground failure and induced damage from earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis. They are also vulnerable to man-made hazards such as maritime oil spills.