Small Island Developing States SIDS

1. Small Island Developing StatesSIDS

2. Overview Derives from Barbados Program of Action SIDS are a special case for environment and development SIDS priorities and progress Special disadvantages of SIDS

3. The Special Case for SIDS for Environment and Development 1994 Barbados Conference mandated by 1992 Rio Earth Summit and Agenda 21 More than 120 countries wrote a Declaration and Program of Action calling on island nations and the international community to tackle SIDS issues in partnership A Secretariat in the UN was established

4. What was Stated? Clear articulation of the constraints and opportunities faced by SIDS SIDS have wide differences, yet common sets of issues emerged International recognition of the special case of SIDS for environment and development Also, the vulnerability of SIDS given prominence

5. Small Islands, Big Issues �Small islands, big issues,� was the slogan of the Barbados Conference in 1994 SIDS are on the forefront of global environmental consciousness raising and the global struggle to protect the environment and pursue sustainable development Small islands are microcosms for our world If we can find solutions to the special vulnerabilities of islands, it will help us address more global problems

6. Sustainable Development in Context of SIDS SIDS face the same constraints but to different extent SIDS are ecologically fragile and vulnerable Natural environments of SIDS are more vulnerable to natural and human-induced hazards Hazards adversely affect the health of ecosystems at rates and intensities above those found elsewhere around the globe This greater tendency for damage sets SIDS apart from most other countries and translates into greater challenges and complexities of sustainable development

7. Common Problem Area Priorities Degradation of coastal and marine resources (coral reefs, inshore fisheries, coastal habitats) Climate change and sea level rise Freshwater resources -- preventing worsening shortages of freshwater as demand grows Excessive human population density Loss of biological diversity (both marine and terrestrial) Land and sea-based pollution

8. SIDS Recommendations SIDS should establish national land use plans and integrate planning watershed and coastal protection enforce existing laws Institutional strengthening and capacity to deal with environmental issues International action on cooperation, inter-regional support and training Community-centered environmental initiatives Increase awareness on environmental problems

9. Progress Problems of small island developing states now get attention of international community Improved coordination at regional levels Strengthened regional legal frameworks to deal with common environmental concerns Community-based environmental initiatives Increased capacity of government to deal with environmental issues Increased community awareness

10. Successful? 10 years after the Earth Summit the situation is worse Sustainable development is ongoing struggle

11. Reasons for Lack of Progress Population pressures Increased, but still limited cooperation some regions have established frameworks, but have found difficulties in implementing lack of sufficient financing lack of information insufficient financial support from international community

12. SIDS as Developing Countries Institutions are weak, budgets are inadequate. Rules and procedures may not exist, or don�t work The pace of environmental change is fast due to rapid population and development growth. This heightens the consequences of weakness in institutions since the environmental costs of growth accumulate more quickly

13. Environmental databases are inadequate or absent There may be significant political barriers to full participation Detailed management plans may be undermined by the sheer power of financial and political interests

14. Special Disadvantages of SIDS Smallness Remoteness Population structures, mobility Susceptibility to natural disasters Environmental factors

15. Dimensions of Smallness Population Land area Economy (GNP)

16. Disadvantages of Smallness: Natural Resource Endowments Natural resource endowments vary� but, generally, narrow range of resources and dependence on imports of raw materials and commodities Often subject to outside driven exploitation Market prices not set locally Very often raw materials are exported, not value-added goods

17. Reliance on few Commodities, few Sectors Small domestic market and dependence on export markets Dominance of a few sectors (tourism, fisheries, bananas, copra, sugar) Problems associated with excessive dependence on international trade

18. Trends in Agricultural Exports FAO has documented steady decline in returns for primary product exports in agricultural productivity Agriculture sector as an employer declining tourism more lucrative it is hard work, and sector is mechanizing

19. Other Disadvantages of Smallness Limited ability to exploit economies of scale Limitations on domestic competition Costly public administration and infrastructure (small human resource base, per capita cost high, everyone knows each other well)

20. Remoteness High transportation and communication costs Time delays and unreliability in transport services and provision of supplies Competitive disadvantage

21. Natural Hazards Hurricanes, typhoons, flooding and landslides, volcanoes, drought Impacts are larger in terms of area damaged and costs due to small size of the country� devastation of agriculture, disruption of communication, loss of entire settlements

22. Pacific tropical cyclones (1960-1989)�Cook Islands (15), Fiji (34), Solomon Islands (14), Tonga (15), Vanuatu (32), and Samoa (10) Incidence of disasters is not growing, but the amount of damage from each event is growing

23. Environmental Factors Fragile ecosystems and low resistance to outside influences Geographic isolation and endemic species Low assimilative capacity Large coastal zone to land area ratio Linked terrestrial and coastal/marine systems Low-lying areas Limited freshwater reserves

24. Population Structures, Mobility Demographic changes are pronounced within country urbanization across island emigration off island emigration social upheaval, environmental impacts, brain drain

25. Vulnerability Index SIDS are more vulnerable than other groupings of countries But, SIDS do well in terms of GDP per capita and Human Development Index strategic importance of SIDS and artificial props to the economy (financial transfers, technical assistance, preferential market access) flexibility of small islands in the face of changing circumstances