The 4th edition of the Italian Port Days (IPD), launched by Assoporti and Italian port authorities, is taking place between the 20th of September and 20th of October, proposing a diverse program of cultural events, bringing the people inside the port. In Livorno, the IPD will include concerts, heritage visits and start the 16th edition of the Porto Aperto (Open Port) program. In Taranto, the weekend program included rock and classical music concerts, awards ceremonies, talks and numerous activities for children. In Venice, several tours will bring the people inside the port, including adults and students. The program also includes conferences on port-city issues, in which AIVP’s secretary, Mr. Alberto Cappato, brought our organization’s perspective. The Port authorities of the Eastern Ligurian Sea and of the Eastern Adriatic Sea also hosted cultural events celebrating port culture and the protection of the sea.

The Port of Sevilla (Spain) hosted on October 1st the closing concert of the 22nd Flamenco Biennale in the historical port warehouses (tinglados), built in 1926. Up to 1000 attendees joined the concert, symbolizing a new stage of the port-city relationship in the Andalusian capital. The event valorizes the port industrial heritage, that will play a key role on the new Urban Port District. The new plans will have 150,000 m2 of new pedestrian public spaces and will convey an identity that will reinforce the maritime character of the city. The performance was entitled ‘Cantes de ida y vuelta’, referring to the dialogue between cultures that once illuminated the ships that came from the New World and disembarked in the Port of Seville.

The Seabin foundation launched the Ocean Health Data Lab in collaboration with the Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour. The research will inform ways to address floating pollution issues in Sydney’s waterways and will help develop critical baseline data that may determine both water quality and the health of the harbour. The Ocean Health Lab is a solar-powered, retrofitted shipping container, dedicated to recording microplastics and marine litter captured from the 30+ Seabin’s operating 24/7 in Sydney Harbour since 2020. The Maritime Museum will help deliver education and community outreach programs.

In coastal areas, groups opposed to plans to build offshore wind farms have formed in recent year. They argue that the turbines are unsightly and will adversely affect the appeal of their region to tourists. Floating wind farms, which can be installed further offshore than current turbines, could offer a way of addressing the energy transition while remaining acceptable to society. The technology is now maturing with pilot projects soon to be rolled out in Australia, Denmark, the United States, and South Korea. The movement is a global one, with zones over 50 km from coastlines, as is the case with the Australian Hunter Coast project off New South Wales.

Drought along the Mississippi has had a devastating impact, with nearly 39% fewer ships reaching the river delta. The flow of the United States’ second-longest river has fallen drastically, causing the water level to drop. In two places inland, the Mississippi has been closed to shipping. Some river barges are no longer able to sail any further upstream or, worse, are unable to reach the river mouth and the major port of New Orleans. The consequences of climate change are already visible for port and river cities.