Climate Impacts on Egyptian Inland Ports and Adaptation Strategies: Perspectives of Port Managers and Staff

Sharaan, M.; Ibrahim, M.G.; Romya, A.A.; Soliman, A., and Iskander, I., 2024. Climate impacts on Egyptian inland ports and adaptation strategies: Perspectives of port managers and staff. In: Phillips, M.R.; Al-Naemi, S., and Duarte, C.M. (eds.), Coastlines under Global Change: Proceedings from the International Coastal Symposium (ICS) 2024 (Doha, Qatar). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 113, pp. 377-381. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. Ports are crucial arteries of global trade, and they are increasingly susceptible to climate hazards. This issue, particularly understudied in Egypt, carries significant economic and trade risks. Understanding Egyptian port managers' and staff's perspectives on these climate threats is essential for building sustainable and resilient ports aligned with national development goals. This study explores the potential threats of climate change to Damietta Port, one of the leading commercial ports in Egypt, and how the port managers and staff respond to possible climate risks. It examines their adaptation strategies and plans and provides insights into the resiliency of inland ports. The required data was collected using a designed questionnaire and interviews with the port managers. The findings reveal an evident concern about developing Egyptian ports within national projects; the port managers apply comprehensive monitoring and evaluation to different climatic factors that may affect the port operation. They believed their port was safer than coastal ports based on exposure to coastal threats such as storms, high waves, and floods—an exceptional sea level rise that may enhance the navigational process in the aligned navigational channel. The future vision towards adapting ports to climate threats was also discussed. Furthermore, they recognize the potential need for adaptation measures in addition to implementing strategy. The research highlights opportunities for scientists to collaborate with port stakeholders in proactively investigating the impacts of climate change on Egyptian ports.