Helping Small Island Nations Adapt To The Climate Crisis

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are a group of distinct island nations around the world. These countries are renowned for their natural assets, from pristine coastlines to picturesque marine ecosystems, but they're also uniquely vulnerable to the changing climate. As leading marine scientist Dr. Deborah Brosnan explains, "these islands contribute less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, but they suffer disproportionately". With increased exposure to hurricanes, cyclones, flooding, and rising sea levels, SIDS are on the frontier of climate change. How can we stop them from being lost forever? The answer may lie in changing the way we think about small islands, focusing less on the land and more on the huge areas of ocean under their control; almost 30 times the size of the islands themselves. The natural assets in and around these waters have rich economic potential that could restore these fragile ecosystems. Nature-based solutions, eco-tourism initiatives, investment in biodiversity and carbon markets, and innovative approaches to insurance can all play their part in creating a new wave of vibrant blue economies across our oceans. With thanks to the following contributors: Dr. Deborah Brosnan, Marine Scientist and Climate Risk Expert Rebekah Clement from Lloyd’s (a member of the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s Insurance Task Force) Paul Andrew Gomez, High Commissioner of The Bahamas Johanna Leonhardt from Soneva (a member of the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s Hospitality and Tourism Task Force) Do you want to learn more about the topic of regenerating oceans? Visit our digital hub for extended interviews, case study films and reports: https://www.re-tv.org/features/oceans RE:TV was founded by His Majesty King Charles III to highlight the innovations and ideas that are emerging in response to the climate and biodiversity crisis. Inspired by The King’s long-standing commitment to nature, we provide a platform for the growing community of change-makers around the world, raising awareness of the wide variety of technological and nature-based climate solutions that point the way to a better future for us all. As our founder put it when RE:TV launched in 2020; "there is real hope, but we've got to come together as a world on this." Find out more: https://www.re-tv.org/ Follow RE:TV on Instagram:   / retv_smi   Follow RE:TV on Twitter:   / retv_org   Follow RE:TV on Facebook:   / retvsmi   Follow RE:TV on LinkedIn:   / retv-org