Coastal climate adaptation in port-cities: adaptation deficits, barriers, and challenges ahead

Port cities are on the frontline of emerging coastal risks related to climate change, sea-level rise, and human impacts on coastal zones. This article addresses the need for adaptation in port cities. It reviews key meanings of coastal climate adaptation, and its inherent complexity and uncertainties. It then provides an overview of the current status of coastal climate adaptation, discusses ‘adaptation deficits’ in port cities, and describes barriers to adaptation. Subsequently, it highlights the need for adaptive (coastal) planning and management in the face of changing and uncertain future conditions. Finally, it points out research needs and challenges regarding adaptation in port cities, namely the need for localized risk assessments, the need to reduce adaptation deficits, the need to mainstream adaptation into spatial planning, the need for advanced studies on adaptation measures, the need for integrated efforts, the need for adaptive planning approaches for dealing with changing risks over time, under uncertainty in highly dynamic environments.