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There are 38 Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the world, located in the Caribbean, Pacific and Atlantic-Indian-OceanMediterranean-South (AIMS) China Sea regions. The SIDS are on the front line of climate change, highly vulnerable to extreme weather events and sea-level rise. These factors, combined with pressure on the limited natural resources that these island nations need to sustain their economies and ensure their populations’ livelihoods, mean that they are the first to be severely affected by global climate variations and water crises.
This briefing presents issues that decision-makers in island nations need to address to craft national or regional strategies for disaster risk reduction (DRR) and water security planning. DRR policies, and the resulting strategies and action plans are the basis for building long-term partnerships for sustainable development with international funding agencies. SIDS are among the highest-risk locations on the planet. Today some are already experiencing the adverse effects of sea-level rise, vulnerability to water shortages and extreme weather events, and their knock-on effects of desertification, ecosystem degradation, and threats to local food production.
Practical approaches that decision-makers and planners can take to design SIDS-specific policy and action to mitigate climate shocks are highlighted in the recent study by UNU-INWEH - Disaster-Risk, Water Security Challenges, and Strategies in SIDS. It documents current strengths that some states have, their adaptive capacities, and disaster preparedness policies and plans that are in place. It also highlights weaknesses that need to be addressed. These include the lack of up-to-date data and information to manage climate shifts effectively, a need for better coordination between national institutions, and the imperative to boost national sectoral agencies’ capacity to do disaster risk planning. By better understanding their situation and shortcomings, SIDS decision-makers will be better prepared to create robust programs for disaster preparedness and reduction, and infrastructure investment to enhance DRR and water security.
The study highlights actions that SIDS can take to improve their resilience to climate shocks:
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Build cross-sectoral cooperation and data sharing between national agencies for agriculture, energy, urban planning, environment and water resources, disaster management, and with local communities and their representatives.
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Integrate water security into DRR policies.
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Engage with development agencies to ensure that they understand the specific needs of SIDS and the importance of providing them with long term technical support and investment.
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Increase DRR and capacity development efforts in all SIDS to embed water security thinking at both the policy and community levels.