Argentina’s General Port Administration, which is responsible for the port of Buenos Aires, the country’s only federal port, has announced two important measures in recent days. A decree has been passed to protect the working conditions and status of port workers, despite plans to modernise infrastructures. The aim is to reconcile the well-being of workers with moves to create the “Port of the future”. In addition, the administration has signed a partnership with the national port training institute, and one of the main unions in the sector. New programmes aimed at building skills will be open to crane operators, straddle carrier and RTG drivers, as well as other port handling workers.

As part of a wider initiative to accelerate the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 14 and 15, focused on the protection of marine environments and terrestrial biodiversity, the city of Cape Town (South Africa) will invest 15.5 million US dollars in coastal resiliency. The projects that will be funded through this initiative include enhancing the Seaforth beach enclosure, modernising the Muizenberg seafront, rehabilitating the dune belt, and improving the Strand seawall along Beach Road to protect local communities and infrastructure from storm surges and rising sea levels. With a coastline of 307 km, South Africa’s oldest city is not only increasing its coastal resilience in order to adapt to climate change but is also investing in terrestrial ecosystem restoration and in education centers.

The three Canadian ports along the Saint Lawrence have together launched the Global Innovation Challenge 2023. This is a call for applications for start-ups that can provide solutions for water quality monitoring. The targeted technologies must have data collection and sensor systems, a system with a dashboard with real-time notifications, reports on historical trends over a specific period and predictive capability. Companies can apply until June 30^th, with a final selection taking place in September. The winning start-ups will work with the Port Authorities to adapt their solutions to the industrial needs.

Every year, more than 200 tonnes of plastic waste is retrieved from the river Thames, which crosses London (UK). To tackle the problem, the port authority has launched a new initiative in collaboration with water companies, under the patronage of the UK Environment Agency. The first step will be to carry out a feasibility study looking at ways of filtering plastic household waste (e.g. wet wipes) more effectively at water recycling plants. There are also plans to raise awareness among farmers, highways agencies, and local authorities. More difficult waste, such as medicines, will require specific measures.

The Port Authorities of Auckland (New Zealand) and Cartagena (Spain) are undertaking projects to restore areas under their jurisdiction with local fauna. The Ports of Auckland will be creating an ecological corridor on Mahanihani (South Head) by restoring native bush. Once restored the area will celebrate the land and its historical sites, provide walking trails for the public, and will support the port’s carbon reduction goals in the long-term. In Cartagena, the port authority will restore the environment of the lighthouse of Cabo de Palos by eradicating invasive species and creating an arbustada of native flora. The aim is for the restored area to function as a food generator, refuge for local fauna, seed generator to help the recovery of surrounding areas, and to help increase in climate resiliency.