Vulnerability assessment of the port and coastal infrastructure facilities of TRINMAR, on the Gulf of Paria, Trinidad, to sea level rise

摘要

On account of the growth and expansions in the oil and gas sectors, TRINMAR, the marine arm of PETROTRIN, the state-owned oil and gas company of Trinidad and Tobago is required to move its port facilities from its current location at Point Fortin to a location 7 km south, namely Mont Pellier estate on Irois Bay in the Gulf of Paria. This paper addresses the vulnerability of the Mont Pellier site to rising sea levels, as caused by climate change. Sea level scenarios are created from the outputs of two coupled atmosphere-ocean geneneral ciculation models (A-OGCM's), namely the Canadian (CGCM1) and British (HadCM3) models. Photogrammtric and field surveys are used to create a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the study area. Future scenarios of sea level rise over the short (2031), medium (2051) and long (2071) terms, coupled with estimations of accelerated erosion rates based on the Bruun principle, are then used to assess the vulnerability of the port and built infrastructure to future sea levels In light of these vulnerability assessments, adaptation measures are proposed to minimise the impacts of future sea levels on the Mont Pellier port and harbour facilities.