Resilience : its meaning and its relevance for small island developing states

Abstract

Resilience originates from the Latin resilire or to rise again, in layman’s terms referring to the ability to withstand or recover quickly from difficult situations. The term has become a buzz-word in recent years, and is used in different senses. I, personally, may have contributed to its frequent usage, as since 2000 I have written on the need for small states, particularly small island developing states (SIDS), to build their economic resilience, in view of the fact that these states tend to be highly exposed to external shocks.