Islands: balancing development and sustainability?

Abstract

SUMMARYThis overview explores sustainable development in island contexts. More subtle and complex concepts of sustainable development have become manifest in the Sustainable Development Goals, with tensions between social, economic and environmental objectives at different scales as livelihoods acquire greater flexibility and islands face multiple challenges to development. Islands are part of rapidly changing and wider worlds, while sustainability is complicated by global change, as debates over strategies and time periods are accentuated in constrained island contexts. Development and sustainability have repeatedly acquired new meanings, hence requiring new analytical techniques, planning objectives and effective governance and management. Progress towards sustainable development in islands and island states is hampered by multi-scalar challenges, including limited biodiversity, migration, external interventions and directives, scarce human resources, weak management, inadequate data (and problems of interpretation), social divisions and tensions and simultaneous quests for modernity and conservation. The tourism sector emphasizes how sustainable development is particularly difficult to achieve in small islands where access to adequate livelihoods is important and limited change is possible.

Coastal proximity of populations in 22 Pacific Island Countries and Territories

“…This is particularly so in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) across the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans [3,4] where the ocean looms large as a source of food, wealth and cultural identity (e.g. [5,6]), but also as a source of acute and chronic threats. Tsunami, inundation and erosion caused by cyclone induced wave surge, and the long-term manifestations of sea level rise among other damaging phenomena all increase the exposure and vulnerability of coastal populations.…”

New And Inherited Features Of Agricultural Production In Russia

“…The assistance should also be provided to develop the district's general arrangement and farms' infrastructure. First of all, it is the construction of roads, the development of the product market, the necessary means of production; Construction of housing and social infrastructure (Connell, 2018).…”

Development Trend of Small Island District in Tropical Monsoon Region (Case Study: Ly Son and Phu Quy Island Districts, Vietnam)

“…In 2018, John Connell in his publication, "Islands: balancing development and sustainability?" (John Connell, 2018) observed the sustainable development of the islands. In fact, small islands often suffer from great environmental pressures as well as economic challenges due to their small sizes and geographic isolations, specific biodiversity, frequent exposure to natural disasters, high density of population and low local resources base.…”