Nature Positive Role of the Ports Sector

With almost 40% of the world’s population living within 100 km of the coast,94 pollution in ports has direct impacts on natural ecosystems, human health, fishery resources and tourism. Ports should optimize their operations and implement advanced technologies to prevent and mitigate at least the following pollutants: wastewater (from ships, equipment and operations), dust, exhaust, solid waste, noise and light. Ports should formulate and implement emergency response plans to address incidents, including oil and chemical spills. In this process, it is essential to consider anchorages located outside the ports. Emergency response forces must be adequately trained and stationed in close proximity to large- scale oil and hazardous chemical warehouses, as well as liquid bulk cargo terminals, to ensure pollutants can be managed swiftly and effectively in the event of an incident. Ports should improve monitoring systems of the following items to ensure their impacts on nature have been controlled and minimized, as well as to identify incidents when happening: –Seawater: Equip shore-based automatic monitoring microstations with a marine water environment intelligence monitoring system to conduct real-time monitoring of water quality. –Air: Construct air quality microstations and online monitoring equipment for volatile organic compounds. –Wastewater: Use a monitoring system to ensure any wastewater meets compliance requirements before discharging to civil pipework. –Hazardous waste: Identify existing storage facilities for hazardous wastes, monitor storage warehouses, and ensure proper procedures at disposal sites and while leaving ports. –Biodiversity levels: Set up underwater cameras, acoustic surveys and eDNA programmes to monitor biodiversity. Ports should regulate and standardize the prevention and control of invasive species through the following actions: –Strengthen monitoring: Establish a comprehensive species invasion monitoring network, regularly monitor the waters and facilities around ports, and promptly mitigate species invasion. –Strengthen ship quarantine and disinfection: Ensure proper treatment of ships entering and leaving ports to prevent the spread of invasive organisms and reduce the risk of biodiversity loss. –Formulate and improve relevant regulations and standards: Clarify the responsibilities and obligations of port departments and ship operating units to prevent and control species invasion in ports. –Improve international collaboration: Collaborate with international organizations and other countries to jointly control transboundary species invasion and promote the development of global standards.3.3 Improve the prevention and mitigation capacity against pollution and invasive speciesPriority action 3 Pollution in ports has direct impacts on natural ecosystems, human health, fishery resources and tourism. 32 Nature Positive: Role of the Port Sector