{"id":3204,"date":"2026-02-04T18:03:24","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T17:03:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pharos390.com\/?p=3204"},"modified":"2026-02-05T11:25:44","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T10:25:44","slug":"climate-change-observatories-clever-tool","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pharos390.com\/en\/climate-change-observatories-clever-tool\/","title":{"rendered":"Climate change observatories in ports: the CLEVER TOOL"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-83fe374578f782c5d00970cfb8d5d12b\" style=\"background-color:#abb7c23d;padding-top:0;padding-right:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0\"><em><strong><em>Adapting to climate change<\/em><\/strong><em> has become a <\/em><strong><em>strategic challenge<\/em><\/strong><em> for <\/em><strong><em>ports<\/em><\/strong><em>. This flash presents the role of <\/em><strong><em>Climate Change Observatories<\/em><\/strong><em> in <\/em><strong><em>adaptation <\/em><\/strong><em>and <\/em><strong><em>port resilience<\/em><\/strong><em>, based on the case of the <\/em><strong><em>CLEVER TOOL<\/em><\/strong><em> from the <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.valenciaport.com\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.valenciaport.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em><strong>Port Authority of Valencia<\/strong><\/em><\/a><em>. The content is an adapted and summarised version of the article \u2018Ports on the Frontline: How Climate Change Observatories Drive Adaptation\u2019, published in Port Technology International (Edition 156).<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b69a4d9e6e54defcae2a1cf81814ac7a\">Due to their strategic location on the coastline or rivers, <strong>ports<\/strong> are critical <strong>transportation hubs <\/strong>that are directly threatened by <strong>climate risks<\/strong>. <strong>Climate change<\/strong> is a current reality that manifests itself both through <strong>extreme events <\/strong>(storms, torrential rains, prolonged droughts) and <strong>slow-onset processes<\/strong> (sea level rise, warming waters, ocean acidification). For <strong>ports<\/strong>, adaptation is not an option, but an urgent necessity to ensure their <strong>operability, safety and competitiveness.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-luminous-vivid-amber-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-be473c905508faf4bee2d53dd286c3a7\">The concrete impacts: a multidimensional threat <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-db84c89a3a8579d6578d61d9d6cd0ee0\">The effects of <strong>climate change<\/strong> on a port are systemic and affect all aspects of its operations. Examples include the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e34d4b64155c057e4870ac5b3b61c63f\"><strong>Infrastructure:<\/strong> increased <strong>wave energy <\/strong>and <strong>sea level rise<\/strong> compromise the integrity of dykes and breakwaters, causing flooding of esplanades. <strong>Extreme rainfall<\/strong> can also cause flooding, while <strong>droughts <\/strong>or after floods, the operational draught in navigation channels and docks may be reduced.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-df145b8f089fc06db0893794da7519e5\"><strong>Operations and equipment:<\/strong> <strong>adverse weather events<\/strong> worsen operating conditions and may even force <strong>operations to be suspended <\/strong>due to <strong>extreme wind<\/strong>, <strong>poor visibility<\/strong> (fog or rain) or <strong>thunderstorms<\/strong>. Equipment can be damaged by accelerated corrosion, hail or high temperatures. Goods may be exposed to rain, spray from waves, hail or falls and impacts. Wind and poor visibility increase the risk of equipment collisions or broken ship moorings.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-258cca4c68a9873a7a602e4e5ca5b29f\"><strong>People:<\/strong> the <strong>safety of workers<\/strong>, <strong>passengers<\/strong>, and <strong>visitors<\/strong> may be compromised by accidents resulting from <strong>adverse weather conditions<\/strong>, heatstroke, or hypothermia.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-7b96c39709a6fdd2d261506ab5619a23\"><strong>Environment:<\/strong> the port itself and its surroundings are more vulnerable to accidental spills, water pollution from runoff, reduced air quality, and degradation of adjacent coastal ecosystems.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b4e86be3e1b17b3783a04f921b230a72\"><a href=\"Infrastructure: increased wave energy and sea level rise compromise the integrity of dykes and breakwaters, causing flooding of esplanades. Extreme rainfall can also cause flooding, while droughts or after floods, the operational draught in navigation channels and docks may be reduced.\"><br><\/a>Although it is possible to operate in hostile environments (such as the North Sea or the Persian Gulf), doing so requires a significant financial investment. In this context, where <strong>investment <\/strong>cycles are long and resources are limited, planning based on real information is key to designing <strong>adaptation <\/strong>strategies and <strong>strengthening <\/strong>the <strong>resilience <\/strong>of each <strong>port<\/strong>.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-luminous-vivid-amber-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-11e32cf610decfdddc2b5bc96d8c02cb\">Climate change observatories: from data to information<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9f4f3afd9d78b4c74fbd949c90e24feb\">Each <strong>port <\/strong>is unique. Its <strong>specific risks <\/strong>depend on its <strong>geographical location<\/strong>, <strong>physical configuration<\/strong>, <strong>type of traffic<\/strong> (containers, solid and liquid bulk, passengers, etc.) and <strong>equipment<\/strong>, among other factors. Therefore, effective adaptation requires in-depth knowledge of local <strong>conditions<\/strong>, including <strong>weather and climate<\/strong>, <strong>infrastructure<\/strong> and <strong>operations<\/strong>. In this context, <strong>climate change observatories<\/strong> are emerging as <strong>strategic tools<\/strong> with a dual purpose: to systematically record meteorological and oceanographic events and to document their actual effects. This combination transforms raw data into useful information, enabling:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9b5a07c2fa7bcb1b1f9c691622d84a8b\">Establish realistic <strong>operational limits<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a233b846abbe07e28e42352f7ece3c44\">Design <strong>operational protocols<\/strong> based on adverse weather conditions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3dbce279c0f4a9e6f8ace96d75497cf2\">Identify and report <strong>critical points<\/strong> for maintenance or reinforcement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e371711ddf59de1893e7f7f2fee37c14\">Prioritise and design <strong>adaptation investments <\/strong>(infrastructure and equipment) based on climate projections, not just historical data, integrating them into a climate change adaptation plan.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b0a81cc2016978501e24c75acdef0eda\">Systematically <strong>reduce<\/strong> <strong>risk <\/strong>to people.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-luminous-vivid-amber-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-8ededb6e7e798be553393320942949ff\">CLEVER TOOL: the response from the Port Authority of Valencia<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e888ab0bab261f5366dbb30466872fb0\">To realise this vision, the <a href=\"https:\/\/nowsystems.eu\/es\/index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>company NOW Systems<\/strong><\/a>, with the support of the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fundacion.valenciaport.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Fundaci\u00f3n Valenciaport<\/a> <\/strong>and within the framework of the <a href=\"https:\/\/arsinoe-project.eu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>ARSINOE<\/strong> <\/a>project (Horizon 2020 programme), has designed the <strong>CLEVER TOOL <\/strong>digital solution for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.valenciaport.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Port Authority of Valencia.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1441606329e8e634c3c7e273fec19ca7\">This innovative tool is proposed as the core of the <strong>APV Climate Change Observatory <\/strong>and is distinguished by its <strong>dual<\/strong> and integrative approach: on the one hand, it allows the automatic capture of <strong>meteorological<\/strong> and <strong>oceanographic<\/strong> data from multiple sources, and on the other, it allows users (concessionaires, operators and the port authority) to quickly and easily report the observed effects of each event on <strong>infrastructure<\/strong>, <strong>equipment<\/strong> and <strong>operations<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-50fcb675b72a895b43f0c185623ce356\">Designed with a user-centred approach, <strong>CLEVER TOOL<\/strong> is based on an interactive graphic template of the ports of <strong>Valencia, Sagunto and Gand\u00eda<\/strong>, delimited by concessions. This ensures that each user can accurately report <strong>incidents <\/strong>in their <strong>area <\/strong>of <strong>responsibility <\/strong>and in common areas, facilitating <strong>traceability <\/strong>and <strong>management<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-luminous-vivid-amber-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-afaa3a7dbb1f6a1af04289534679ea61\">Conclusion: towards resilient ports<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5ab5887fdad70eb9b8eba0314bbec23c\">Faced with the certainty of a more <strong>extreme climate<\/strong>, <strong>uncertainty<\/strong> is no excuse for inaction. <strong>Climate change observatories<\/strong>, embodied in <strong>practical tools<\/strong> such as <strong>CLEVER TOOL<\/strong>, provide the knowledge needed to design <strong>adaptation strategies<\/strong>. It is not just a matter of rebuilding dykes, but of safeguarding the essential <strong>economic and social function of ports<\/strong>, ensuring their <strong>long-term operability<\/strong>, <strong>safety <\/strong>and <strong>sustainability<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c12921949cc8bfddc1598f25ae78b1ef\">With this initiative, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.valenciaport.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Port Authority of Valencia<\/strong><\/a> is positioning itself at the forefront of <strong>climate adaptation <\/strong>in the <strong>European port sector<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-luminous-vivid-amber-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-dc39df78cded1e73118da200b840e750\">References<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-59b50972d58866ef155fcac8d8ff8b55\">MONTERDE HIGUERO, N. 2025. Ports on the Frontline: How Climate Change Observatories Drive Adaptation. <em>Port Technology International<\/em>, Edition 156, p45-48.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em>*Disclaimer: This English version has been generated with the support of AI-based translation tools. In case of discrepancies, the Spanish original prevails.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Adapting to climate change has become a strategic challenge for ports. This flash presents the role of Climate Change\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":2928,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[71,127],"tags":[87,121,88,89],"tipo_publicacion":[],"temas":[],"ano_publicacion":[63],"class_list":["post-3204","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environmental-sustainability","category-papers","tag-climate-change","tag-featured_papers","tag-strategic-planning","tag-terminals","ano_publicacion-63"],"primary_category_id":71,"coauthors_data":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pharos390.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3204","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pharos390.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pharos390.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pharos390.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pharos390.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3204"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/pharos390.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3204\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3509,"href":"https:\/\/pharos390.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3204\/revisions\/3509"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pharos390.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2928"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pharos390.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3204"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pharos390.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3204"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pharos390.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3204"},{"taxonomy":"tipo_publicacion","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pharos390.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tipo_publicacion?post=3204"},{"taxonomy":"temas","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pharos390.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/temas?post=3204"},{"taxonomy":"ano_publicacion","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pharos390.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ano_publicacion?post=3204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}