Search Results (23)

Ports are crucial nodes in global supply chains, and are critical infrastructures for the execution of global trade and components of the Blue Economy; however, they are highly vulnerable to climate change implications, especially for insular countries like Greece. This study investigates port stakeholder perceptions, priorities, and preparedness for climate risks through field research with the use of questionnaires and in-depth interviews. The findings reveal a strong recognition of climate change threats—especially extreme weather conditions—but limited institutional capacity for adaptation. Key needs include targeted funding, regulatory clarity, and specialized environmental units. National coordination remains weak, with climate change often framed in economic rather than systemic terms. Smaller ports face greater exposure yet fewer resources. The results highlight governance gaps, emphasizing the need for integrated, stakeholder-informed strategies to enhance port resilience and ensure alignment with EU climate directives. This research provides evidence-based insights to guide policy development and foster adaptive capacity in the Greek port sector. Full article

This study examines how gender dynamics shape greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting and carbon accountability in a Mediterranean maritime agency. It adopts an interpretive single-case study design with ethnographic elements, combining interviews, document analysis, and direct observations derived from insider access. The results reveal that digitalization strengthens the technical capacity for carbon accounting, particularly for Scopes 1 and 2, by making data more traceable and auditable through ERP and principal-mandated systems. Empirically, the study finds that women perform most of the carbon data work, compiling, reconciling, and uploading approximately 80% of emissions-related information, yet hold limited decision rights over strategic boundary setting and KPI definition. This imbalance highlights how operational reliability depends on gendered divisions of labor, while strategic accountability remains constrained by hierarchical decision structures. The study reframes carbon accountability as a gendered organizational practice, advancing debates on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 13 (Climate Action) in shipping. It also proposes a gender-inclusive accountability framework, including a Responsible–Accountable–Consulted–Informed (RACI) matrix with gender overlays, contractual/Application Programming Interface (API) exchanges for Scope 3, and participatory system design, and discusses implications for principals and port authorities. The findings contribute to critical and interpretive accounting by distinguishing operational from strategic accountability and demonstrating how the distribution of voice and authority conditions decarbonization credibility and effectiveness. Full article

A sensor network based on 10 stationary nodes distributed in Bari (Southern Italy) has been deployed for urban air quality (AQ) monitoring. The low-cost sensor systems have been installed in specific sites (e.g., buildings, offices, schools, streets, ports, and airports) to enhance environmental awareness of the citizens and to supplement the expensive official air-monitoring stations with cost-effective sensor nodes at high spatial and temporal resolution. Continuous measurements were performed by low-cost electrochemical gas sensors (CO, NO₂, O₃), optical particle counter (PM₁₀), and NDIR infrared sensor (CO₂), including micro-sensors for temperature and relative humidity. The sensors are operated to assess the performance during a campaign (July 2015–December 2017) of several months for citizen science in sustainable smart cities. Typical values of CO₂, measured by distributed nodes, varied from 312 to 494 ppm (2016), and from 371 to 527 ppm (2017), depending on seasonal micro-climate change and site-specific conditions. The results of the AQ-monitoring long-term campaign for selected sensor nodes are presented with a relative error of 26.2% (PM₁₀), 21.7% (O₃), 25.5% (NO₂), and 79.4% (CO). These interesting results suggest a partial compliance, excluding CO, with Data Quality Objectives (DQO) by the European Air Quality Directive (2008/50/EC) for Indicative (Informative) Measurements. Full article

Marine ecosystems are vital for maintaining biodiversity and ecological balance. However, these ecosystems face severe threats from habitat destruction, pollution, climate change, and overfishing. Addressing these challenges requires innovative solutions, including the adoption of marine intelligent technologies. This study examines the role of marine intelligent technologies in promoting ocean sustainability. By integrating bibliometric and trend analyses of 777 publications (2020–2024), the study identifies critical research directions and disparities in the application of these technologies across marine ecosystems, shipping, and fisheries. Key findings reveal that marine intelligent technologies have transformative potential, enabling real-time marine environmental monitoring, enhancing port operations, and reducing the ecological footprints of fisheries. The study highlights the importance of collaborative efforts in policy formulation, technological advancement, and global cooperation to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 14. Insights from this research provide feasible pathways for aligning technological innovation with the sustainable management of marine resources. Full article

Port decarbonization is becoming an increasingly critical focus in the maritime industry. It facilitates prioritizing compliance with the latest regulatory updates introduced by the International Maritime Organization, the European Union, and national governments. It is also seen as a key element to tackling climate change challenges. Hence, it is essential to comprehend recent developments in port decarbonization research to address sustainability requirements of the industry. This article reveals the recent research directions and current industrial practices in response to port decarbonization requirements by employing a holistic view of the literature. The methodology of this research uses a detailed qualitative approach framework to conduct an in-depth analysis of contemporary research publications. In this study, 75 recent publications in the literature are examined in-depth using systematic review, thematic analysis, and content analysis. The findings of this study suggest a significant emphasis on innovative technologies and collaborative strategies for achieving decarbonization goals. Another important contribution of this study is the identification of key barriers and facilitators in the implementation of decarbonization practices at ports. This study also encompasses future research directions by identifying existing themes, contents, and research gaps in the literature. It is anticipated that the outcomes of this article will shed light on the main research motivations and policymaking requirements in the field of port decarbonization. Full article

This article analyzes the climate vulnerability of seaports through a bibliometric review of 45 articles published between 2012 and 2023. The research highlights the increase in publications focusing on the vulnerability of port infrastructure to climate impacts, a topic that previously received less attention compared to operational, economic, and logistical factors, which are frequently discussed in the existing literature. The analysis reinforces the relevance of this study, with the United States, Spain, and the United Kingdom emerging as the most influential countries in this research area. This article also reveals the predominance of methods based on the Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI), which includes ports in its assessments, and emphasizes the need to develop a more robust index for evaluating port vulnerability. Additionally, it discusses current topics, such as sea level rise and the use of global climate models and suggests future research directions to enhance the assessment of port vulnerability in the face of climate change. Full article

With the global economy’s relentless growth and heightened environmental consciousness, sustainable maritime transport emerges as a pivotal development trajectory for the shipping sector. This study systematically analyzes 478 publications searched in the Web of Science Core Collection, from 2000 to 2023, utilizing bibliometric methods to investigate the application areas in sustainable development within the shipping industry. This study begins with an analysis of annual publication trends, which reveals a substantial expansion in research endeavors within this discipline over recent years. Subsequently, a comprehensive statistical evaluation of scholarly journals and a collaborative network assessment are conducted to pinpoint the foremost productive journals, nations, organizations, and individual researchers. Furthermore, a keyword co-occurrence methodology is applied to delineate the core research themes and emerging focal points within this domain, thereby outlining potential research directions for future research. In addition, drawing on the keyword co-occurrence analysis, the advancements in intelligent shipping technologies and green port construction applications within sustainable maritime transport are discussed. Finally, the review discusses the existing challenges and opportunities of sustainable maritime transport from a theoretical and practical perspective. The research shows that, in terms of intelligent shipping technology, data security and multi-source data are the focus that people need to pay attention to in the future; a trajectory prediction for different climates and different ship types is also an area for future research. In terms of green ports, Cold Ironing (CI) is one of the key points of the green port strategy, and how to drive stakeholders to build sustainable green ports efficiently and economically is the future developmental direction. This review serves to enhance researchers’ comprehension of the current landscape and progression trajectory of intelligent shipping technologies, thereby fostering the continued advancement and exploration in this vital domain. Full article

In the face of geopolitical challenges and climate change, economic progress, safe production, and environmental protection have emerged as important directions for chemical industry development. However, the rational optimization of the chemical industry layout under the backdrop of ecological environmental protection necessitates further exploration. This study explores the evolution and future development direction of the chemical industry layout within the coastal region of Jiangsu Province, China, using the CA–Markov model. The findings reveal a trend of spatial agglomeration growth among coastal chemical enterprises, with Moran’s Index increasing from 0.109 in 2007 to 0.206 in 2017. The petrochemical industry, in particular, demonstrated the most significant agglomeration effect, with approximately 52.10% being concentrated in 14 coastal industrial parks in 2017. Under the constraints of the ecological environment and policy guidance, the land area allocated for the chemical industry experienced a reduction of over 10%, further strengthening the emphasis on spatial agglomeration. Chemical industries along Jiangsu’s coast have become agglomerated and concentrated near industrial parks and ports. Their spatial distribution and connectivity were mainly influenced by factors such as convenient transportation, the ecological environment, local policies, the distance from residential areas, and industrial agglomeration. Under different scenarios—including natural growth, ecological environment constraints, and policy guidance—chemical industries show diverse spatial patterns. Ecological environmental constraints and policy guidance can provide various intervention methods for the government to promote the optimization direction and focus of the chemical industry layout while minimizing its impact on the ecological environment. Full article

An important process that began in many Mediterranean countries in the last century, after the end of the Second World War, concerns the displacement of a large part of the population from inland to coastal areas, expanding many existing cities and building new ones. Following this expansion, some existing ports were expanded, and many new ports were built, mainly for commercial and tourist purposes. This strong anthropogenic pressure has modified not only the landscape but also the coastal dynamics, and significant shoreline erosion processes have often been observed, even at considerable distances from the ports. This paper analyzes shoreline changes due to the construction of ports in Calabria, based on geomorphological factors and wave forcings. Calabria is a region of Southern Italy, on the Mediterranean Sea, that is characterized by geomorphological, climatic, and anthropic peculiarities. In addition, other important effects caused by the construction of ports were also analyzed, such as shoreline advancement updrift, construction of coastal protection structures, siltation, and anthropogenic pressure. The main finding of this analysis is that coastal morphology plays a key role in the extent of shoreline changes due to the construction of ports. In fact, the greatest shoreline retreats were observed downdrifts of ports built in straight coastal areas. Furthermore, this analysis highlights that there is no direct correlation between wave climate and shoreline changes near the examined ports. The analysis described in this paper may be of interest both to the scientific field and to the planning and management of coastal areas. Furthermore, it is based on open-access data and was carried out using free software such as QGIS, so it is easily replicable and applicable in any coastal context. Full article

One of people’s greatest concerns about air quality degradation is its impact on human health. This work is a case study that aims to investigate the air quality and the related impact on people’s health in a coastal city over the eastern Mediterranean. The analysis proceeded during a low-tourist density period, covering the days from 17 to 27 November 2022. Hourly ${\mathrm{PM}}_{2.5}$, ${\mathrm{NO}}_2$ and ${\mathrm{O}}_3$ concentration records from three, mobile, Air Quality Monitoring Systems (AQMS), established in an urban location, port and central area of Rhodes city, are analyzed. To investigate the impact of pollution levels on human health, the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is calculated. The daily and diurnal variation of pollutants’ concentration and AQHI among the different areas, as well as the relation among the ambient air pollutants and AQHI, are studied. Additionally, to investigate the impact of wind regime on the variation of pollution and AQHI levels, the hourly zonal and meridional wind-speed components, as well as the temperature at 2 m, the dew point temperature at 2 m, and the height of the boundary layer from ERA5 reanalysis, are retrieved for the region of the southeastern Mediterranean. Results show that the highest pollution level occurs in the city center of Rhodes, compared to the rest of the studied locations. In general, the findings do not show exceedances of the pollutants’ concentration according to the European Directive 2008/50/EC. Moreover, findings show that in some cases, the health risk is classified from Low to Moderate in terms of AQHI. The analysis indicates that the climate conditions affect the pollutants’ concentration due to dispersion, and likely, the atmospheric transport of pollutants. Finally, this work aims to improve the knowledge regarding the air quality of southeastern Greece, promoting the framework for the green and sustainable development of the South Aegean Sea. Full article

Coastal areas are increasingly endangered by climate change and associated sea level rise, which could have serious consequences, such as shoreline erosion and coastal city submergence. The current study aims to conduct a historical trend analysis (HTA) and predict the shoreline changes of the Nile Delta coasts. The Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) software, with the GIS environment, is used for monitoring the shoreline changes using a number of statistical methods (SCE, NSM, EPR, WLR and LRR). Satellite images from 1974 to 2022 were collected and geometrically corrected using supervised classification to detect the shoreline change of the Nile Delta. The GIS was used for detecting and monitoring changes in the shoreline, as well as forecasting future changes in the shoreline for the next 10 and 20 years (2033–2043). The critical sections of the Nile Delta were identified, and a time series analysis of shoreline changes was conducted. For each section, linear equations were established to predict probable changes in the shoreline. Between 1974 and 2022, the shoreline of the Nile Delta moved inland in different directions due to coastal erosion, and predictions indicate that this erosion will continue until both 2033 and 2043, particularly affecting the Rosetta and Damietta sections. The erosion rate ranged between 30–60 and 10–25 m/year at Rosetta and Damietta, respectively, but at Manzala, it ranged between 8–15 m/year. Continued erosion of the Nile Delta shoreline could have severe consequences that could affect the inhabitants, economy, buildings, roads, railways, and ports. These areas need an integrated coastal management strategy which incorporates increasing consciousness, urban development, and the implementation of rules and adaptation plans. The results of the current study and forecasting the shoreline change could help in protecting such areas. Full article

The microgrid concept has evolved from the humble origins of simple remote electrification applications in rural environments to complex architectures. Microgrids are key enablers to the integration of higher penetrations of renewables in the energy sector (including electricity, heating, cooling, transport and industry). In addition to the local energy sources, energy storage systems and loads, the modern microgrid encompasses sophisticated energy and power management systems, peer-to-peer energy markets and digital technologies to support this energy transition. The microgrid concept has recently been applied to all energy sectors, in order to develop solutions that address pressing issues related to climate change and the decarbonization of these important sectors. This paper initially reviews novel applications in which the microgrid concept is being applied, from a detailed analysis of recent literature. This consists of a comprehensive analysis of the state of the art in shipboard microgrids, port microgrids, aircraft microgrids, airport microgrids and space microgrids. Future research directions are then presented, based on the authors’ perspectives on pushing the boundaries of microgrids further. Full article

The inland navigation sector makes a significant contribution to the growth of the global economy as well as to climate change due to pollutants emitted by diesel engines. NOx emissions are very high in port areas where, due to traffic, the ships run at idling regimes. Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) represents one of the most suitable technologies, in terms of cost effectiveness, but does not perform well if the temperature during vessel operation is lower than 180 °C. Microwave technology can support preheating of the ceramic core of SCR in order to increase the temperature towards the optimal interval for the best NOx reduction. Research has focused on coupling a magnetron head to a SCR device in order to evaluate to what extent the technology can meet the requirements of Stage V of the European Directive related to NOx emissions. Measurements of NOx emitted have been performed on engines with 603.5 kW nominal power and 1500 rpm that operate at a lower engine speed (700–1200 rpm) and output power (58–418 kW). The values recorded for emissions using microwave heating of ceramic core of SCR have decreased by 89% for a constant load of engine and idling engine speed. Full article

Hydrogen as carbon-free fuel is a very promising candidate for climate-neutral internal combustion engine operation. In comparison to other renewable fuels, hydrogen does obviously not produce CO₂ emissions. In this work, two concepts of hydrogen internal combustion engines (H₂-ICEs) are investigated experimentally. One approach is the modification of a state-of-the-art gasoline passenger car engine using hydrogen direct injection. It targets gasoline-like specific power output by mixture enrichment down to stoichiometric operation. Another approach is to use a heavy-duty diesel engine equipped with spark ignition and hydrogen port fuel injection. Here, a diesel-like indicated efficiency is targeted through constant lean-burn operation. The measurement results show that both approaches are applicable. For the gasoline engine-based concept, stoichiometric operation requires a three-way catalyst or a three-way NO_X storage catalyst as the primary exhaust gas aftertreatment system. For the diesel engine-based concept, state-of-the-art selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalysts can be used to reduce the NOx emissions, provided the engine calibration ensures sufficient exhaust gas temperature levels. In conclusion, while H₂-ICEs present new challenges for the development of the exhaust gas aftertreatment systems, they are capable to realize zero-impact tailpipe emission operation. Full article

Two-dimensional models of large spatial domain including Cua Lo and Cua Hoi estuaries in Nghe An province, Vietnam, were established, calibrated, and verified with the observed data of tidal level, wave height, wave period, wave direction, and suspended sediment concentration. The model was then applied to investigate the hydrodynamics, cohesive sediment transport, and the morphodynamics feedbacks between two estuaries. Results reveal opposite patterns of nearshore currents affected by monsoons, which flow from the north to the south during the northeast (NE) monsoon and from the south to the north during the southeast (SE) monsoon. The spectral wave model results indicate that wave climate is the main control of the sediment transport in the study area. In the NE monsoon, sediment from Cua Lo port transported to the south generates the sand bar in the northern bank of the Cua Hoi estuary, while sediment from Cua Hoi cannot be carried to the Cua Lo estuary due to the presence of Hon Ngu Island and Lan Chau headland. As a result, the longshore sediment transport from the Cua Hoi estuary to the Cua Lo estuary is reduced and interrupted. The growth and degradation of the sand bars at the Cua Hoi estuary have a great influence on the stability of the navigation channel to Ben Thuy port as well as flood drainage of Lam River. Full article