Introduction to the book : Small island developing states : vulnerability and resilience under climate change

Abstract

Scattered around the tropics and sub-tropics are several dozen states and sub-national jurisdictions considered to be Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The literature on such states and territories frequently says that they exhibit specific socio-economic characteristics: they are said to have small domestic markets and challenging population dynamics, and they are said to exhibit high reliance on external trade and dependence on a narrow range of exports, making them highly exposed to external shocks (Briguglio, 2016). Climate change impacts are also exacerbating SIDS’ vulnerability. Many of these states depend on economic activities located in the coastal area, and rely highly on ocean resources, rendering them potentially vulnerable to sea-level rise and other climate change impacts. Additionally, climate change impacts and natural hazards are often interlinked with several other possible SIDS characteristics such as low income, poor infrastructure and weak institutions, among others, which can deepen exposure to climate change impacts and act as obstacles to successful resilience building.