The main ANCHOR LIFE objective is to raise awareness, communicate and disseminate the topic of noise pollution coming from ports affecting urban nearby territories among public Administrations and land management decision makers, port authorities, private companies involved in port activities, citizens living in port cities and academics. The process will be led by the development and application of three Best Practices for Noise Governance and Information, one for each partner port authority, in order to enhance relationships among all the port actors, i.e. port authorities, companies and local communities.

Project objectives:

• developing rewarding “Figures of Merit” in port noise governance, already successfully implemented in other environmental sectors in port areas, and to apply them in Livorno, Piombino and Portoferraio ports; they will stimulate private companies to adopt noise decreasing practices in return for economic benefits or other advantages;
• designing and installing a Smart Port Noise Monitoring System (SPNMS) in Patras port, consisting of a network of low-cost microphones able to monitor noise emissions generated by port activities and transmit data to a central server managed by the Port Authority
• preparing a Guideline for the definition of a common approach in port noise monitoring and assessment, considering the outcomes of previous EU funded projects and the algorithms defined by the European Directive 2015/996, in order to produce Port Noise Impact Assessments to be included in ports Environmental Management Systems (EMS). The method will be applied to the proposed expansion of the port of Melilla.

replicating and disseminating this strategy to a platform of “follower” port authorities and stakeholders in order to improve a sustainable environmental development in noise control issue, directly involving them since the beginning of the project as collaborators in activities or as eyewitnesses, and to evaluate the effectiveness of this dissemination process through set Information Measurement KPIs.

Actions:

ANCHOR LIFE project activities are organised on a period of 36 months (from October 2018 to September 2021), designed in 5 stages, totalling 10 actions as listed below. Each of them aims to involve and encompass stakeholders at different levels (public bodies, companies, citizens, scientific communities) by means of the build-up of a “Follower Platform” (Action A1.2) not only as a collector but also as a direct channel through which inform them, raising their awareness to noise coming from ports issue (Action D1), work with and proposing them the identified best governances (Action B1, B2 and B3) to approach and deal with thereafter autonomously such issue.

In the following, the planned actions are listed:

1. Preparatory actions

A1 Preliminary Activities

A1.1 Updating and capitalization of already known best practices, and monitoring indicators and

systems for noise management in port areas.

A1.2 Followers' platform for stakeholders to involve in project implementation and follow-up

A1.3 Development of Information Measurement KPIs

1. Core actions

B1 Development of “Figures of Merits” governance on noise and application to Livorno port

B2 Design of a Smart Port Noise Monitoring System (SPNMS) and application to Patras port

B3 Definition of a common Port Noise Impact Assessment (PNIA) method and application to Melilla port

1. Monitoring of project impact

C1 Monitoring and evaluation of performance indicators as quality plan

C2 Monitoring the impact of project actions

C2.1 Scientific and technical monitoring

C2.2 Evaluation of socio-economic impact of the project

1. Awareness raising and dissemination of the project and its results

D1 Plan and Implementation of project dissemination

D1.1 Dissemination plan and information Pack

D1.2 Network with other EU funded projects

D1.3 Replication plan and results transfer

1. Project management and monitoring of project progress

E.1 Project management

E1.1 Overall project management and monitoring of project progress

E1.2 Technical project management, administrative coordination and external audit

E1.3 After-LIFE plan

Expected results

The project has the vision goal of long-term sustainability on noise thanks to the application of noise control governances:

• “Figures of merit” stimulating Private players to apply noise control actions on their activities
• Smart Port Noise Monitoring System (SPNMS) suppling Port authorities with a tool checking environmental noise situation and establishing direct connection with private companies and local communities.
• Noise Impact Assessment giving decision-makers a tool to design infrastructures with a noise conscious approach, both in current situation and in expansion planning.

ISPRA – Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale

http://www.isprambiente.gov.it/it

CIRIAF - Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca sull’inquinamento e sull’Ambiente “Mauro Felli”

http://www.ciriaf.it/

INGENIA Srl

http://www.ingeniasrl.it/

Melilla Port Authority

https://www.puertodemelilla.es/

Autorità di Sistema Portuale del Mar Tirreno Settentrionale

https://www.portialtotirreno.it/