Resource extractivism, health and climate change in small islands

Abstract

Purpose-The extraction of natural resources has long been part of economic development in small islands. The damage to environment and health is extensive, even rendering once productive islands virtually uninhabitable. Rather than providing long-term benefits to the population or to the environment, the culture of "extractivism"a nonreciprocal approach where resources are removed and used with little care or regard to consequenceshas instead left many in far more fragile circumstances, increasingly dependent on external income. The purpose of this paper is to show how continued extractivism in small islands is contributing to global climate change and increasing climate risks to the local communities. Design/methodology/approach-Through a series of case studies, this paper examines the history of extractivism in small islands in Oceania, its contribution to environmental degradation locally and its impacts on health. Findings-It examines how extractivism continues today, with local impacts on environment, health and wellbeing and its much more far-reaching consequences for global climate change and human health. At the same time, these island countries have heightened sensitivity to climate change due to their isolation, poverty and already variable climate, whereas the damage to natural resources, the disruption, economic dependence and adverse health impacts caused by extractivism impart reduced resilience to the new climate hazards in those communities. Practical implications-This paper proposes alternatives to resource extractivism with options for climate compatible development in small islands that are health-promoting and build community resilience in the face of increasing threats from climate change. Originality/value-Extractivism is a new concept that has not previously been applied to understanding health implications of resource exploitation thorough the conduit of climate change. Small-island countries are simultaneously exposed to widespread extractivism, including of materials contributing to global climate change, and are among the most vulnerable to the hazards that climate change brings.

Climate change adaptation in SIDS: A systematic review of the literature pre and post the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report

“…Kuruppu and Willie (2015) and Nalau et al (2016) emphasized the relationship between climate change and disaster risk, calling for integrative approaches that reflect Indigenous knowledge and voices, and the documentation of lessons as a way of informing policy and practice. Bambrick (2018) illustrated how activities such as natural resource extraction can exacerbate climate risks, and Magee, Verdon‐Kidd, Kiem, and Royle (2016), Orcherton, Mitchell, and McEvoy (2017), and Thomas and Baptiste (2018) noted high levels of risk perception among some but not all islanders. These and other post‐AR5 studies, however, largely underscored consensuses of earlier IPCC Reports, particularly as they relate to the vulnerability of islands and the variability of impacts across them (Second Assessment Report), as well as the multiplicity of sustainability threats that they face (Third Assessment Report).…”

Incremental, transitional and transformational adaptation to climate change in resource extraction regions

“…Therefore, apart from improving understanding of individual adaptation pathways, there is a necessity for conceptual lenses that are polycentric, dynamic and multi-scalar. Assessments of vulnerability, adaptive capacity and adaptation of the mining industry (Ford et al, 2010(Ford et al, , 2011Hodgkinson et al, 2014;Loechel et al, 2013;Pearce et al, 2011;Pizarro et al, 2017) Climate change in the sustainable mining agenda, climate-compatible development and corporate social responsibility (Bambrick, 2018;Dyer et al, 2013;Hodgkinson & Smith, 2018;Irarrázabal, 2006;Jegede, 2016;Leventon et al, 2015) Climate change responses are driven by neoliberal and colonial ideas and neglect the heterogeneity of knowledge and institutions (Cameron, 2012;Curley, 2018;Hirons et al, 2014;Nuttall, 2012) In situ adaptation planning and adaptive regulations (Aleke & Nhamo, 2016;Carkovic et al, 2016;Sharma & Franks, 2013) Alternative institutional design, promoting cross-scale and polycentric institutions, and integration of Indigenous and local knowledge systems in decision-making (Ali et al, 2017;Birch, 2016;Eisenstadt & West, 2016;Petheram et al, 2010) Governance and political challenges (Bebbington et al, 2015) Economic and political rationale for adaptation (Damigos, 2012;Kolk & Levy, 2001;Martus, 2019;Prowse et al, 2009) Legitimacy of mining projects (particularly coal and oil) within the existing climate change governance regimes and just transitions (Bos & Gupta, 2016;Evans, 2007;Odell et al, 2018;Patterson et al, 2018;…”

“…This can be best achieved through partnerships, where mining companies typically provide financial resources and communities offer local expertise and labour (Dyer et al , 2013). Based on a range of case studies in Oceania (phosphate mining in Nauru and Kiribati, oil and gas mining in Timor-Leste and coal mining in West Papua and Papua New Guinea), Bambrick (2018) emphasized the importance of CCD that is health promoting and excludes resource extraction if the resilience of small-island communities is to be built.…”

Spatiotemporal characterisation and risk factor analysis of malaria outbreak in Cabo Verde in 2017

“…The expected increases in temperature, changes in precipitation patterns, and increased flooding and drainage are important issues in developing and archipelagic countries, like Cabo Verde [61–63]. The impact of these factors on water-borne and vector-borne diseases is of particular relevance in terms of policies and public health strategies, regarding the prevention of these diseases.…”