Peru Approves Port Action Plan to Address El Niño Impacts

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Peru's Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC), through the National Port Authority (APN), has approved a new action plan to address the El Niño phenomenon, aimed at reducing the risks posed by heavy rainfall and related events to the infrastructure, services, and operational activities of Peru's National Port System. The measure was formally established through Board Chairman Resolution No. 78-2026-APN-PD.

The action plan places particular emphasis on potential disruptions to ground access routes to terminals, as such disruptions would directly affect cargo entry and exit, thereby impacting import and export flows. To this end, the APN will coordinate with relevant entities to identify alternative freight routes to and from port terminals and loading points, while also assessing the availability of coastal freight services as a backup option when ground road access is restricted.

The plan establishes coordination mechanisms among the APN, port operators, public institutions, and other members of the port community to obtain early warning information on potentially affected situations, thereby enabling the activation of prevention, response, and recovery measures.

During the prevention phase, the APN will work jointly with port operators to identify risks, determine resource availability for responding to different scenarios, and compile a list of potentially affected terminals and loading points, taking into account their geographic location, river exposure, ground accessibility, and the condition of critical infrastructure and equipment. The APN will also oversee each terminal's Operational Continuity Plan (PCO), tracking infrastructure, equipment, and accessibility status, as these documents contain specific action plans for the gradual resumption of operations when port services are interrupted or restricted due to events.

In the event of damage, the institution will conduct technical inspections to assess the condition of infrastructure and equipment, and based on the findings, will propose measures for operational restrictions and the phased restoration of services. The final phase of the action plan is the recovery phase, which includes damage assessment, repair of infrastructure and equipment, and the reestablishment of ground and waterway access routes required to resume port operations.