Systemic risks from climate-related disruptions at ports

This report allows the researchers to quantify the systemic exposure of transport, trade and supply chains to port disruptions (Methods). This information is essential to identify cross-border vulnerabilities, as well as preparing ports, firms and countries for port-related shocks, which are not adequately quantified using best practice tools for risk assessment, for example in the insurance sector.

The results highlight that many SIDS are very susceptible to systemic risks given high direct exposure and cross-border vulnerabilities due to limited trade and transport diversification. In addition, risks estimated are influenced by, among others, specific extreme events affecting multiple ports simultaneously4 and the level of resilience in the interconnected systems. As such, countries may wish to take regulatory steps to enhance the resilience of critical domestic ports, whilst using the report's data to scrutinize the reliability of foreign ports with which they trade.