Jason Monios

Climate adaptation management and institutional erosion: insights from a major Canadian port

This paper performs an institutional analysis of the adaptation to climate change by ports, through a case study of the port of Vancouver, Canada. While previous literature has demonstrated the value of informal institutions for filling gaps left by formal institutions, the role of failed informal institutions has received less attention. Our analysis reveals how, in the case of an unprecedented challenge like climate adaptation, relying on informal institutions with less agency can actually erode the strength of existing institutions in a form of negative institutional plasticity. In this case, emerging polycentric governance was unsuccessful, unable to construct clearly demarcated responsibilities due to impedance by the path dependence of the current federalist system. The latter works well for traditional infrastructure investments with a closed pool of stakeholders, but not for ports where multiple scales of embeddedness, both horizontally and vertically, produce a collective action problem with no mechanism for resolution.

Port system evolution – the emergence of second-tier hubs

ABSTRACT Some evidence has emerged of second-tier hubs inserting themselves between hubs and feeder ports, producing a new hierarchy of port networks. This article aims to establish the dynamics of this process based on illustrative cases in Asia, South America, and Europe. Findings reveal spatial factors to include a cluster of small ports with minimal sailing distance within a given range, suitable channel and berth depth, and ideally high capacity inland links. From the economic perspective, demand-side factors include a local captive market and aggregated demand to be captured from other ports, while supply-side factors include diseconomies of scale at traditional hubs, an increase in direct services, an increase in large feeder vessels calling from first-tier hubs which are then transhipped to smaller feeders for serving local ports, and an increase in overland servicing of local smaller ports. From a strategic perspective, vertical and horizontal integration in the shipping sector has produced extensive network economies, whereby shipping lines look to create group-specific port hierarchies, enhanced in the presence of aggressive management strategies and supportive policies. This finding suggests that proactive port stakeholders can in certain circumstances seize the opportunity to capture this role within their port range.

Port Decision Maker Perceptions on the Effectiveness of Climate Adaptation Actions

ABSTRACT Effective adaptation to climate change impacts is rapidly becoming an important research topic. Hitherto, the perceptions and attitudes of stakeholders on climate adaptation actions are under researched, partly due to the emphasis on physical and engineering aspects during the adaptation planning process. Building on such considerations, the paper explores the perceptions of port decision makers on the effectiveness of climate adaptation actions. The findings suggest that while port decision makers are aware of potential climate change impacts and feel that more adaptation actions should be undertaken, they are skeptical about their effectiveness and value. This is complemented by a regional analysis on the results, suggesting that more tailor-made adaptation measures suited to local circumstances should be developed. The study illustrates the complexity of climate adaptation planning and of involving port decision makers under the current planning paradigm.