Staying Small and Beautiful: Enhancing Sustainability in the Small Island Developing States

Abstract

Spread over the ocean regions of the Caribbean, the Pacific and Atlantic, the Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean, and the South China Sea, the small island developing states (SIDS) are a distinct group of developing countries often known for their rich biological diversity, oceans, tourism, and fisheries. The pressures on these and other natural resources is most immediate in the islands where the high vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, limited land and water resources, often unsustainable natural resource use, and other particular economic vulnerabilities are disrupting livelihoods. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the SIDS economies and livelihoods. Over the past 25 years the Global Environment Facility (GEF) has supported interventions in SIDS through $578 million in financing, in critical areas such as biodiversity protection, climate resilience, and energy access through renewable energy. But how effective and sustainable have these interventions been? What factors influencing the sustainability of GEF interventions can provide insights for future project design and implementation? This chapter draws on findings from a recent country cluster evaluation on SIDS conducted by the Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) of the GEF. It presents the main environmental challenges in SIDS, the evidence on the relevance and effectiveness of GEF interventions in addressing these challenges, and the main risks to sustainability of outcomes. Important contextual factors that affect sustainability in SIDS include good policies and legal and regulatory frameworks, national ownership of projects, environmental awareness, institutional capacity, and strategic institutional partnerships. Project-related factors including good project design and adaptive project management, scaling-up and replication based on lessons learned, and a good exit strategy are also important for sustainability.

A study of illegal dumping near coastal zones and waterways in Grenada: Advancing waste management solutions and reducing marine litter

“…often have limited resources and infrastructure to manage their waste effectively [30,31], which can contribute to the prevalence of illegal dumping. Lastly, small island communities offer valuable insights into the impacts of illegal dumping on coastal environments, due to their distinct geographic and cultural contexts.…”

Co-Designing Protected Areas Management with Small Island Developing States’ Local Stakeholders: A Case from Coastal Communities of Cabo Verde

“…Community support gains particular importance regarding protected area management in SIDS territories [27]. SIDS are characterized by their small land area yet having abundant biodiversity and endemism [11,79], making the natural environment the most abundant resource and a great touristic attraction. These local communities and conservation projects often dispute for the same areas and resources [79].…”

Against All Odds? Blue Economy and Blue Ocean Maritime Strategy in Seychelles and Mauritius

“…However, Kaplan (2009) argues that the smallness of SIDS' territorial land and population are not necessarily disadvantages but is related to their tendency to be affected by climate and environmental changes sooner, and more severely than other nations. In reference to existing research, Batra and Norheim (2020) and Lannon (2022) agree that SIDS have adapted to climate change quite earlier on, therefore, appropriate to use to study adaptation policies and practice. However, Herbert (2019) state there is limited research to compare those policies and practices across the SIDS.…”

“…Malcolm and Murday (2017) and Potgieter (2018) explain the need of maritime security to ensure human security in the Seychelles and Mauritius, as the Indian Ocean SIDS are vulnerable, in terms of piracy, drug trafficking, illegal fishing and climate change. Furthermore, food security is an important issue, and an essential part of Blue Economy as the ocean provides a large portion of the global population with food resources, and therefore illegal or unregulated fisheries have a significant impact (Batra and Norheim 2020).…”