THE CONCEPT OF “GREEN PORT” IN AN AFRICAN CONTEXT…
According to Professor André VIGARIE « the port is an area of contact between two areas, land traffic and marine traffic; its role is therefore to ensure a solution of continuity between two transport schemes adapted to the crossing of two spaces with different characteristics ».
The port can also be defined as “a geographic platform of a multitude of actors engaged in activities related to ships, and goods load or unload on board of the ships”. These activities, namely: handling (loading and unloading), storage, ship repair, bunkering, etc. carried out in the port, generate negative effects on the environment.
These negative effects of port activity on the environment are part of the environmental impact of ports. The environmental impact of ports can be divided into three categories:
- the problems caused by the port activity itself;
- problems caused at sea by ships calling at port; and
- emissions from intermodal transport chains serving the port hinterland.
Among the problems caused by the port activity itself, we can list: air pollution (dust resulting from the unloading of heavy products, e.g.: sulphur, emissions of exhaust from ships, etc.) noise pollution (noise from ships’ engines, handling operations, etc.), olfactory pollution (odour pollution: ex: fishing port), water pollution (sewage discharge, ballast water), the generation of waste (waste from consumer products (e.g., packaging and hazardous waste) and the disposal of dredged material, discharges into marine sediments and activities affecting the seabed (such as dredging), accidental discharges during loading/unloading operations), etc. Most of the pollution is generated in the port through operations and handling activities, but also from production or processing (for example, fish products), as well as from movements of means of transport of dangerous liquids and gases.
Among those caused by ships at sea we have: water pollution (e.g.: dumping of ship waste at sea, discharging pollutants and cargo residues at sea, discharges to marine sediments, degassing (illicit discharges of fuel oil sludge and waste oil), oil spills (major accidental pollution during the sinking of oil tankers), frequent re-suspension of sediments (possibly polluted by trawling), air pollution (for example: combustion of heavy fuel oil used by ships at sea), etc.
As regards emissions from intermodal transport chains serving the port hinterland we have: air pollution (e.g., gas emissions from truck exhausts or carbon dioxide emissions from trains), noise caused by these moving means of transport, etc. However, the environmental impacts also result from the construction and development of the port (land and sea occupation). In order to fight environmental pollution resulting from the construction and operation of ports, the concept of “green port” has emerged as a fundamental solution.
A “green port” also called an “ecological port” is “a port in which all port actors (stevedore, Harbour master, consignee, docker, linesman, pilot, etc.) work for sustainable development through the implementation of environmentally friendly practices, while defending each other’s social and economic interests”.
The fundamental objective of an ecological port is to create a balance between environmental, social and economic impacts. This concept involves integrating environmentally friendly methods into port operations, operations and management. It aims at responsible behavior on the part of all the actors working or intervening in a port. The “green port” also aims to make effective use of its resources, reduce the negative impact on the environment, raise the level of environmental management and improve the quality of the natural environment in the area. The concept of “green port” includes the idea of protecting the environment in all its infrastructure work, in the sustainable development policies it follows, and in all activities and operations in the port area.
The greening of ports, a new reference in the determination of the modernization of ports, adopted by many major international ports (Rotterdam, Antwerp) is, however, slow to be integrated into our African ports. This is due to geographical, regulatory factors (e.g.: lack of internal pro-ecological regulations, policy for the treatment and recovery of inefficient waste), economic, financial, technical and socio-cultural factors. To this is added a multiplicity of actors intervening in the ports making its effective implementation difficult. We notice, however, that the Port of Tanger Med is committed to a persevering approach to sustainable development by adopting an environmentally responsible approach to the preservation and protection of the environment.
It is the first African port and the only one to obtain the «Ecoports¹» label issued by the ESPO (European Sea Ports Organization) in 2016. However, other African ports are initiating laudable actions such as:
– the Pointe-Noire Port Authority (PAPN in French) in setting up an environmental and social assessment study, a feasibility study of the design of a waste management system and a waste water treatment system financed by AFD (Agence Française de Développement);
– the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) with the acquisition of energy-efficient mobile port cranes, the development of a waste management plant and the installation of solar panels.
African port authorities are able to implement the concept of “green port” in our countries. They only need to be accompanied by funding agencies, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations to be able to more easily integrate the concept of “green port” in Africa.
1 Ecoports: (ECOPORT or Ecoports) is a label awarded to European ports voluntarily adhering to “good practices” in the field of sustainable development, as part of a project dating from 1999, supported by the “Ecoports Foundation” (EPF) which is a network of voluntary actors who are “stakeholders” in port management, and who want to share their environmental experiences.
