Monitoring Trade Disruptions from Space

PortWatch is a collaborative project between the IMF and the University of Oxford, bringing together experts from macroeconomics, climate risk modeling, and data science.

PortWatch uses satellite-based vessel data and big data analytics to produce actionable insights for policymakers, international organizations, and the general public. With cutting-edge analytical tools, users can assess the regional and global impacts of both realized and potential disasters. A unique feature of PortWatch is its disaster alert system, providing weekly email alerts on trade disruptions in affected countries. 

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The platform allows users to explore how global supply chains are exposed to present and future disruptions to port activity. Users can simulate the indirect spillover effects of port disruptions to other countries in the maritime trade network. This can be done for both actual and hypothetical port closures. Spillover analysis reveals which countries and sectors are at risk of experiencing trade disruptions, which can help inform timely responses to shocks.

PortWatch also offers climate scenario analysis, facilitating the identification of vulnerabilities within the maritime trade network. Such vulnerability analysis captures the impacts of more frequent and intense climate extremes in the future. The estimates are informed by modelled risk estimates at 1,400 ports worldwide for different types of disasters (cyclones, floods, and earthquakes). These data-driven insights are intended to facilitate international dialogue and help policymakers prioritize investments to increase resilience of vital economic infrastructure.