Despite a gloomy outlook for the world economy because of the eurozone crisis, ports worldwide will continue to handle goods, commodities and passengers, generating direct and indirect jobs and wages in the respective local economy. Some ports experienced a decline in their volumes during the second half of 2011, while others experienced a steady and, in some cases, a dramatic increase.
Looking back on 2011, it was sadly a year of natural disasters severely affecting ports, port cities and their inhabitants in the world, such as the Christchurch, New Zealand, earthquake in February and the Japan earthquake in March. The list goes on if you include typhoons in the western Pacific Ocean and hurricanes in the Caribbean.
Along with natural disasters, we in the port industry are concerned about piracy in the Gulf of Aden and off Somalia. This crisis is escalating and reaching a critical level to the extent that it hinders a smooth flow of goods and commodities traded internationally.