IWRA Proceedings

AbstractHome to about 1% of the world’s population, small island developing states (SIDS) were categorised as a special case for both development and environment by the UN in 1992 [UN, n.d.]. SIDS are about 58 states and territories located in three regions: the Caribbean, the Pacific, and the Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and South China Sea (AMIS) and are considered among the most vulnerable group of locations in the globe. On average, the ocean area of a SIDS country's EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) is nearly 30 times the landmass, making the majority of natural resources occur in connection to the sea. A mix of climate and local human impact drivers have made these islands vulnerable to water hazards like beach erosion, floods, drought, groundwater pollution etc. [Nurse, et al., 2021]. These occur in a backdrop of a special socio-economic context, sometimes known as the “island paradox”: the concurrence of high vulnerability to the risk of external shocks and relative prosperity (for example being highly sought-after tourist destinations) in comparison with other types of economies [di Friedberg, et al., 2021]. This was perfectly illustrated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on many SIDS: the reduction of international tourism and foreign remittances seriously impacted the economies of these islands [Sachs, et al., 2021].