SIDS are not sitting on the sidelines
Facing a future whose only certainty is change, small island developing states (SIDS) are confronted with many problems and difficulties in making progress towards sustainable living and sustainable development. Disaster risks and climate change only amplify these issues when considering the fragility of SIDS.
This is one of the reasons why the Global Platform will have a featured event on the first day focusing on small-island developing states and disaster risk reduction.
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 540 million people worldwide rely on fisheries and aquaculture. Imagine the impact this will have the livelihoods of people on these island states if sea levels rise, or more extreme weather, such as storms, drought, and temperature fluctuations, increases.
Disaster risk reduction will play an important role in addressing these future risks to people in these sensitive ecosystems. An interesting read is “Trends in Sustainable Development: Small Island Developing States (SIDS)” and there’s more details about SIDS here.
“SIDS are particularly prone to natural disasters in all their forms - cyclones, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis and earthquakes. Because of our inherent smallness it can take one of these [natural] disasters not only to claim the lives and livelihood of our people, but also to cause significant damage to our fragile and vulnerable economies. All efforts invested by SIDS in their pursuit towards sustainable development can be negated by a single damaging [natural] disaster.”
H.E Mr Jagdish D. Koonjul , Chairman of the Alliance Of
Small Island States (AOSIS) at the EWC-II, October 2003.
Posted by unisdr
- 8 years ago
- Permalink
Submit a post by clicking on "Submit" above.