The Rise in Sea Levels and New Maritime Routes: Challenges and Guidelines for Global Port Adaptation

In the coming decades, maritime transport will undergo significant transformations driven by climatic and economic factors. The rise in sea levels, as highlighted in the IPCC report (AR6), poses a threat to coastal infrastructures, necessitating urgent adaptations. To mitigate climate-induced risks, it will be essential to expand port handling areas, adapt existing facilities, and develop new ones, considering shifts and the emergence of new maritime routes. These challenges present an opportunity to design and construct more resilient ports, ensuring the sustainability of future global trade. This article aims to investigate port adaptation to climate change, focusing on the expansion of handling areas and the resilience of infrastructures. It explores the emergence of new maritime routes and their implications, analyzing how rising sea levels impact major global routes and infrastructures. The article proposes guidelines for developing resilient infrastructures capable of maintaining global trade flows and adapting to new dynamics. By identifying gaps in current research and practices, it suggests areas for future studies that can contribute to formulating effective adaptation policies and strategies.