5
SIDS are located in three geographic regions,
namely, the Caribbean, the Pacific and Atlantic
and the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea.
SIDS were recognised as a case both for their
environment and development at the 1992 United
Nations Conference on Environment and
Development held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This
acknowledgement was made, especially in the
context of Agenda 21 (UN-OHRLLS 2015,
https://unohrlls.org/). In 1994, the Barbados
Programme of Action (BPOA) prescribed specific actions enabling SIDS to achieve sustainable development. The Mauritius strategy for
further implementation of BPOA was adapted to
address gaps in the implementation of the SIDS
in 2005. A third international conference on SIDS
was implemented in Samoa to forge a new pathway for the sustainable development of SIDS.
Sustainable development is defined as “development that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs” (United Nations
1987 in UNESCO 2014:20). There are numerous
debates on whether SIDS can achieve sustainable
development due to the adverse impact of climate
change and sea-level rise on SIDS, as well as
their survival and viability, and the other issues
relating to economic development, food security,
disaster preparedness and ocean management.
Achieving sustainability in SIDS needs to be
established within the context of the inherent vulnerability of SIDS including small size, remoteness, climate change impact, biodiversity loss
and narrow resource base. These factors further
create undue challenges for SIDS to achieve sustainable development.
It is necessary to unpack the peculiarities of the
characteristics of SIDS to understand its vulnerabilities to climate change further. SIDS are surrounded by nearshore coastal ecosystems which
are characterised by their geographical features
including estuaries, sandy beaches and rocky
shores and endemic habitats such as salt marshes,
seagrass meadows, mangrove forest, coral reef
and kelp forests. It is crucial to note that these
coastal structures are threatened by SLR, warming, acidification, deoxygenation and extreme
weather events. In many regions of SIDS, endemic
fauna and flora exist which are vulnerable to climate change impacts. Climate change may result
in biodiversity loss and the alteration in ecosystem structures and functions (Rilov 2016; Chefaoii
et al. 2018 in Abram et al. 2019).
Furthermore, the bordering marine ecosystems are impacted by local anthropogenic disturbances such as coastal modifications, pollutions
and overfishing due to the high density of humans
living on coastal areas (Levin 2015; Dunn et al.
2018 in Abram et al. 2019). Climate change
impacts interact with such human disturbances
and pose a severe risk to ecosystem structure and
function. Livelihoods such as tourism and fisheries rely on the existence and maintenance of
healthy coral reefs in SIDS; however, human
activities and warming have already led to a significant impact on tropical coral reefs caused by
species replacement, bleaching and decreased
coral cover. Warming, ocean acidification and climate hazards will put warm water coral (SIDS) at
very high risk even if global warming can be limited to 1.5 °C above preindustrial levels (Abram
et al. 2019). Sustaining the livelihoods of a significant proportion of the populations in SIDS,
e.g. youths, will depend on ensuring that the ecosystems are kept intact.
Climate change is already threatening health
systems, local economies and livelihoods (Gomez
2013; Hernandez-Delgado 2015). SLR and storm
surges continue to destroy coastal communities
and ecosystems resulting in reducing the attractiveness of these islands by destroying beaches,
infrastructures, tourism and communication
facilities (Chatenoux and Wolf 2013; Abram
et al. 2019). It is estimated that 301 km of new or
improved coastal defence is needed to structurally protect the cities in the Caribbean SIDS from
SLR in the twenty-first century. In the Pacific
region, the value of infrastructure, buildings and
cash crops considered at some level of risk is estimated to be over US$11 billion annually
(UN-OHRLLS 2015).
Under all climate pathways, it is estimated that
plant and animal habitats would become unsuitable for more than 75% of species due to climate
change throughout the twenty-first century. Over
50% of plant species are projected to lose more
than 50% of their climatically suitable habitat at 3
°C and over the pathway. Other species would
Justification for the Book
SIDS are located in three geographic regions,
namely, the Caribbean, the Pacific and Atlantic
and the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea.
SIDS were recognised as a case both for their
environment and development at the 1992 United
Nations Conference on Environment and
Development held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This
acknowledgement was made, especially in the
context of Agenda 21 (UN-OHRLLS 2015,
https://unohrlls.org/). In 1994, the Barbados
Programme of Action (BPOA) prescribed specific actions enabling SIDS to achieve sustainable development. The Mauritius strategy for
further implementation of BPOA was adapted to
address gaps in the implementation of the SIDS
in 2005. A third international conference on SIDS
was implemented in Samoa to forge a new pathway for the sustainable development of SIDS.
Sustainable development is defined as “development that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs” (United Nations
1987 in UNESCO 2014:20). There are numerous
debates on whether SIDS can achieve sustainable
development due to the adverse impact of climate
change and sea-level rise on SIDS, as well as
their survival and viability, and the other issues
relating to economic development, food security,
disaster preparedness and ocean management.
Achieving sustainability in SIDS needs to be
established within the context of the inherent vulnerability of SIDS including small size, remoteness, climate change impact, biodiversity loss
and narrow resource base. These factors further
create undue challenges for SIDS to achieve sustainable development.
It is necessary to unpack the peculiarities of the
characteristics of SIDS to understand its vulnerabilities to climate change further. SIDS are surrounded by nearshore coastal ecosystems which
are characterised by their geographical features
including estuaries, sandy beaches and rocky
shores and endemic habitats such as salt marshes,
seagrass meadows, mangrove forest, coral reef
and kelp forests. It is crucial to note that these
coastal structures are threatened by SLR, warming, acidification, deoxygenation and extreme
weather events. In many regions of SIDS, endemic
fauna and flora exist which are vulnerable to climate change impacts. Climate change may result
in biodiversity loss and the alteration in ecosystem structures and functions (Rilov 2016; Chefaoii
et al. 2018 in Abram et al. 2019).
Furthermore, the bordering marine ecosystems are impacted by local anthropogenic disturbances such as coastal modifications, pollutions
and overfishing due to the high density of humans
living on coastal areas (Levin 2015; Dunn et al.
2018 in Abram et al. 2019). Climate change
impacts interact with such human disturbances
and pose a severe risk to ecosystem structure and
function. Livelihoods such as tourism and fisheries rely on the existence and maintenance of
healthy coral reefs in SIDS; however, human
activities and warming have already led to a significant impact on tropical coral reefs caused by
species replacement, bleaching and decreased
coral cover. Warming, ocean acidification and climate hazards will put warm water coral (SIDS) at
very high risk even if global warming can be limited to 1.5 °C above preindustrial levels (Abram
et al. 2019). Sustaining the livelihoods of a significant proportion of the populations in SIDS,
e.g. youths, will depend on ensuring that the ecosystems are kept intact.
Climate change is already threatening health
systems, local economies and livelihoods (Gomez
2013; Hernandez-Delgado 2015). SLR and storm
surges continue to destroy coastal communities
and ecosystems resulting in reducing the attractiveness of these islands by destroying beaches,
infrastructures, tourism and communication
facilities (Chatenoux and Wolf 2013; Abram
et al. 2019). It is estimated that 301 km of new or
improved coastal defence is needed to structurally protect the cities in the Caribbean SIDS from
SLR in the twenty-first century. In the Pacific
region, the value of infrastructure, buildings and
cash crops considered at some level of risk is estimated to be over US$11 billion annually
(UN-OHRLLS 2015).
Under all climate pathways, it is estimated that
plant and animal habitats would become unsuitable for more than 75% of species due to climate
change throughout the twenty-first century. Over
50% of plant species are projected to lose more
than 50% of their climatically suitable habitat at 3
°C and over the pathway. Other species would
Justification for the Book