Proxymetry3

"We build our ports at sea level, no matter where that is"

Yes, Proxymetry³ rather than proximetry.

Not much proximity involved either.

The most dangerous threat posed to (what we call) civilization by climate change is sea level change (SLC).

By "civilization" I mean the intercourse between nations, which in this current civilization, is founded on internation trade (which is founded on shipping via sea ports).

It is surprising that it is the least understood of the threats.

Sea Level Change Impact on Sea Ports:

Seaports are located in vulnerable areas to climate change impacts: on coasts susceptible to sea-level rise and storms or at mouths of rivers susceptible to flooding. They serve a vital function within the local, regional, and global economy. Their locations in the heart of sensitive estuarine environments make it an imperative to minimize the impacts of natural hazards. Climate impacts, like a projected SLR of .6 m to 2 m and doubling of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes by 2100, will result in more extreme events at many seaports. To assess the current state of knowledge on this issue, we surveyed port authorities from around the world about how administrators felt climate change might impact their operations, what sea-level change would create operational problems, and how they planned to adapt to new environmental conditions. The planned rapid expansion of ports reported by the survey respondents indicates that adaptation measures should be considered as ports construct new infrastructure that may still be in use at the end of the century. Respondents agreed that the ports community needs to address this issue and most felt relatively uninformed about potential climate impacts. Although most ports felt that SLR would not be an issue at their port this century, sea-level rise was nevertheless an issue of great concern. Our results suggest opportunities for the scientific community to engage with port practitioners to prepare proactively for climate change impacts on this sector.

(Becker et. al, emphasis added). These studies tend to come up with similar analyses, yet with the typical variations as to time-frame, magnitude of SLC, and what to do about the predicament:

While many studies characterise the causes of sea-level rise, attempt to measure and predict its rate of change, the focus on planning for the response that would be required to protect coastal communities in the event that sea-level rise does occur on a significant scale has been comparatively small. Understanding that many ports could face similar challenges at roughly the same time and the constraints for such a response caused by this has also been given little attention.
...
Using seaports as a unit of study sets clear boundaries for analysis, since ports have fixed locations and simple measures for determining economic value in the form of shipping volume. Ports also serve as an example of infrastructure that explicitly relies on coastal locations. Unlike other coastal uses, ports must be situated in areas that are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. As 80% of the world’s freight moves by ship, ports serve a critical and central role in the global economy (International Maritime Organization (IMO) 2008). National and international organisations have identified that climate impacts on maritime infrastructure is an area of great concern in which little work has been completed (Moser 2008; UNCTAD 2008; USCOP 2004; USEPA 2008). Ports require special treatment because of their economic importance as essential links in supply chains, their locations in the heart of sensitive estuarine environments, their reliance on waterfront locations, and the significant existing infrastructure that links them to inland transportation networks. Unlike other coastal uses like residential or retail, ports cannot be relocated to safer locations.

(Will Ports Become Forts, emphasis added). The following was indicated by researchers at Stanford:

Seaports are located in vulnerable areas to climate change impacts: on coasts susceptible to sea-level rise and storms or at mouths of rivers susceptible to flooding. They serve a vital function within the local, regional, and global economy. Their locations in the heart of sensitive estuarine environments make it an imperative to minimize the impacts of natural hazards. Climate impacts, like a projected SLR of .6 m to 2 m and doubling of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes by 2100, will result in more extreme events at many seaports. To assess the current state of knowledge on this issue, we surveyed port authorities from around the world about how administrators felt climate change might impact their operations, what sea-level change would create operational problems, and how they planned to adapt to new environmental conditions. The planned rapid expansion of ports reported by the survey respondents indicates that adaptation measures should be considered as ports construct new infrastructure that may still be in use at the end of the century. Respondents agreed that the ports community needs to address this issue and most felt relatively uninformed about potential climate impacts.

(Climate change impacts on international seaports: knowledge, perceptions, and planning efforts among port administrators, emphasis added).

Other Dredd Blog posts have shown that this area of threat is going to speed up more than what is expected (Weekend Rebel Science Excursion - 44).

Thus, civilization is playing with fire as it were:

The nature of these threats depends on how much and how quickly climate changes, what steps are taken to limit climate change, and what actions are taken to reduce vulnerabilities and increase resilience. The uncertainties in future projections, together with the potentially serious impact on the oceans, lakes, and river systems of the world, create new demands for assessing and adaptively managing risks. As noted in a recent National Academy of Sciences report, “The parameters of the new climate regime cannot be envisioned from past experience . . . Decision makers will need new kinds of information and new ways of thinking and learning to function effectively in a changing climate” ...

(A Challenge for Global Ports, emphasis added). Future posts in this series will list the ports and stations in each Dredd Blog SLC zone,  so readers can determine how officialdom is doing vis a vis the sea port predicament.

The next post in this series is here.