Sustainable Development of Estuary Ports: Study Case: Bahía Blanca Estuary, Argentina
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[1] Universidad Tecnológica Nacional
Universidad Tecnológica Nacional
Argentina
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- Localización: Proceedings of the 25th Pan-American Conference of Naval Engineering—COPINAVAL / coord. por Adán Vega Sáenz, Newton Narciso Pereira, Luis Carral Couce, Jose Angel Fraguela Formoso, 2019, ISBN 978-3-319-89812-4, págs. 315-325
- Idioma: inglés
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Resumen
Estuaries are coastal wetlands. Their surfaces are permanently or temporarily flooded by the effect of the tides. They serve as habitat for numerous species and the refuge of migratory fauna. At the same time, they provide a natural shelter against currents and waves, being therefore sites especially suitable for the installation of ports. The need to expand these facilities to meet the growing maritime transport demands requires a careful evaluation of the works to ensure environmental sustainability, in order to avoid irreparable consequences if the design and location are not adequate. The objective is to identify which of the areas of an estuary is most suitable for new sustainable port developments. Analyzing the case of Bahía Blanca, the deepwater port complex (Argentina), and considering the current location of the facilities, the impacts that would derive from the construction and port operation are identified. They are evaluated from their possible location in the internal and external areas of the estuary. SWOT matrices are developed and compared to identify the most convenient location. As a result, the external zone of the estuary would be environmentally more favorable for new port developments. However, it is necessary to make a resilience map that avoids conflicts when decisions are made. In that moment, some of the social actors can exercise power relations on technical justifications. Particular interests would prevail that it would not always be consistent with sustainable development.
