Editing Port (section)

==Environmental issues==
{{Further|Environmental impact of shipping}}
Ports and their operation are often a cause of environmental issues, such as sediment contamination and spills from ships and are susceptible to larger environmental issues, such as human caused climate change and its effects.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=OECD|url=https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/environment/environmental-impacts-of-international-shipping_9789264097339-en|title=Environmental Impacts of International Shipping: The Role of Ports|date=2011-02-17|publisher=OECD|isbn=978-92-64-09682-0|editor-last=Braathen|editor-first=Nils Axel|language=en|doi=10.1787/9789264097339-en}}</ref>

===Dredging===
{{Main|Dredging}}
Every year 100 million cubic metres of [[marine sediment]] are dredged to improve waterways around ports. Dredging, in its practice, disturbs local ecosystems, brings sediments into the water column, and can stir up pollutants captured in the sediments.<ref name=":0" />

===Invasive species===
[[Invasive species]] are often spread by the [[bilge water]] and species attached to the hulls of ships.<ref name=":0" /> It is estimated that there are over 7000 invasive species transported in bilge water around the world on a daily basis<ref>{{Cite web|title=What are California Marine Invasive Species?|url=https://wildlife.ca.gov/OSPR/Science/Marine-Invasive-Species-Program/Definition|access-date=2021-05-13|website=wildlife.ca.gov}}</ref> Invasive species can have direct or indirect interactions with native sea life. Direct interaction such as predation, is when a native species with no natural predator is all of a sudden prey of an invasive specie. Indirect interaction can be diseases or other health conditions brought by invasive species.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-05-07|title=Invasive and Exotic Marine Species|url=https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/insight/invasive-and-exotic-marine-species|access-date=2021-05-13|website=NOAA Fisheries|publisher=NOAA|language=en}}</ref>
[[File:Wawona_-_pumping_bilge_water.jpg|thumb|A ship pumping bilge water into a harbor]]

===Air pollution===
Ports are also a source of increased [[air pollution]] as a result of ships and land transportation at the port. Transportation corridors around ports have higher exhaust emissions and this can have related health effects on local communities.<ref name=":0" />

===Water quality===
Water quality around ports is often lower because of both direct and indirect pollution from the shipping, and other challenges caused by the port's community, such as trash washing into the ocean.<ref name=":0" />

====Spills, pollution and contamination====
Sewage from ships, and leaks of oil and chemicals from shipping vessels can contaminate local water, and cause other effects like nutrient pollution in the water.<ref name=":0" />

===Climate change and sea level rise===
Ports and their infrastructure are very [[vulnerable to climate change]] and sea level rise, because many of them are in low-lying areas designed for status quo water levels.<ref name=":1" /> Variable weather, coastal erosion, and sea level rise all put pressure on existing infrastructure, resulting in [[subsidence]], [[coastal flooding]] and other direct pressures on the port.<ref name=":1" />

===Reducing impact===
There are several initiatives to decrease negative environmental impacts of ports.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2020.105435|title=Role of sustainability in global seaports|year=2020|last1=Hossain|first1=Tahazzud|last2=Adams|first2=Michelle|last3=Walker|first3=Tony R.|journal=Ocean & Coastal Management|volume=202|page=105435|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1016/j.marpol.2019.103519|title=Sustainability initiatives in Canadian ports|year=2019|last1=Hossain|first1=Tahazzud|last2=Adams|first2=Michelle|last3=Walker|first3=Tony R.|journal=Marine Policy|volume=106|page=103519|s2cid=164819617}}</ref><ref name="greenmarine">{{cite journal|doi=10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.02.029|title=Green Marine: An environmental program to establish sustainability in marine transportation|year=2016|last1=Walker|first1=Tony R.|journal=Marine Pollution Bulletin|volume=105|issue=1|pages=199–207|pmid=26899158|bibcode=2016MarPB.105..199W }}</ref> The [[World Port Sustainability Program]] points to all of the [[Sustainable Development Goals]] as potential ways of addressing port sustainability.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Areas of Interest – World Port Sustainability Program|url=https://sustainableworldports.org/areas-of-interest/|access-date=2020-12-19|website=sustainableworldports.org|language=en-US}}</ref> These include [[SIMPYC]], the [[World Ports Climate Initiative]], the [[African Green Port Initiative]], [[EcoPorts]] and [[Green Marine]].<ref name="greenmarine" /><ref>EOS magazine, 6, 2012</ref>