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CENTRAL ECONOMIC PRIORITY
Older seaports were built at a time when there was an exclusive focus on local trade, industry and
transport, and little interest in public health, the environment and sustainable port development.
Concrete and steel ruled, and ports were squeezed into the city. Harbour activities and
development generally have a negative impact on the ecosystem.
Older ports cannot cope with the rapid rise in international container transport, ever-larger
seagoing vessels and increasingly stringent environmental requirements. Connections with the
hinterland are not designed for current economic growth and so it is difficult to manage the goods
flows. Their competitive position is weakening rapidly.
Is it possible to establish ports that can cope with economic development but also comply with
current environmental requirements and safeguard the functioning of the ecosystem?
TRADITIONAL PORT
Lack of interest in
nature development
The focus is on industry, trade and transport,
with little interest in nature development. That
results in a lack of biodiversity, and ecosystem
services are under-exploited.
Deprived areas
Housing is cramped and below standard. Incomes
and levels of education are generally low.
Extensive industrialisation
Industrial growth has priority and, partly because
of a lack of know-how, there are hardly any
environmental requirements. The pollution of
air, water and soil deteriorate the environment
and living conditions.
Inadequate
coastal protection
Coastal defences are not designed to cope with
the effects of climate change such as sea-level
rise and powerful waves.
Poor accessibility
The port infrastructure is not designed to cope
with high levels of freight haulage and passenger
transport: roads and railways are congested.
Environment-unfriendly ships
There are no standards for engines or
fuel, and so emission levels are high.
Harbour silts up quickly
Design and construction fail to take morphology and
ecology into account, and wave and current models
are not used. Fairways silt up quickly and daily
dredging is needed: that is an expensive approach
that also disrupts the ecosystem.
Space for growth at a premium
With the harbour squeezed into the city, room for
expansion is almost non-existent and it is impossible to
cope with rising levels of marine transport.
