Floods and extreme weather in British Columbia have resulted in fatalities and are wreaking havoc on infrastructure, specifically the Port of Vancouver, Canada's largest port.
What happened: Flooding and mudslides in B.C. forced all rail tracks, which are operated by Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway, serving the Port of Vancouver to shut down.Â
Why it matters: The Port of Vancouver is not just Canada's biggest port, but the fourth largest in North America in terms of how much cargo it transports.Â
- It’s also not the first time that extreme weather events have clogged the Port of Vancouver. Wildfires burned railroad tracks over the summer, which temporarily delayed train shipments and, in turn, slowed down trade at the port.Â
What’s next: Railroad operators said that it’ll take at least a few days for them to repair the tracks, but these port jams will only worsen existing supply chain bottlenecks. The stoppage will affect shipments of bulk goods like grain, coal, and potash, along with consumer goods that enter Canada from Asia.Â
Bottom line: Over 80% of goods are carried by sea, and ports are key infrastructure in facilitating their movement. Extreme weather events resulting from the climate crisis won’t just impact our environment, but will increasingly impact trade and supply chains.Â