This document provides a summary of key trends in sustainable development for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) based on available statistical data. It focuses on demographic trends, climate change, disaster management, trade and finance, tourism, energy, natural resources, and social development. The summary highlights that while progress has been made in some areas, SIDS continue to face significant vulnerabilities and challenges due to their small size, remoteness, reliance on narrow economic bases, and exposure to environmental risks like climate change and natural disasters. Significant further efforts are still needed to achieve sustainable development goals in SIDS.

1. TRENDS IN
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES (SIDS)
2010

2. Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Division for Sustainable Development
TRENDS
IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
United Nations
New York, 2010

3. DESA
The Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat is a vital interface between global policies in
the economic, social and environmental spheres and national action. The Department works in three main interlinked areas: (i) it
compiles, generates and analyses a wide range of economic, social and environmental data and information on which Member
States of the United Nations draw to review common problems and to take stock of policy options; (ii) it facilitates the negotia-
tions of Member States in many intergovernmental bodies on joint courses of action to address ongoing or emerging global
challenges; and (iii) it advises interested Governments on the ways and means of translating policy frameworks developed in
United Nations conferences and summits into programmes at the country level and, through technical assistance, helps build
national capacities.
Note
The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opin-
ion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country or territory or
of its authorities, or concerning the delimitations of its frontiers. The term “country” as used in the text of the present report
also refers, as appropriate, to territories or areas. The designations of country groups in the text and the tables are intended
solely for statistical or analytical convenience and do not necessarily express a judgment about the stage reached by a par-
ticular country or area in the development process. Mention of the names of firms and commercial products does not imply
the endorsement of the United Nations.
United Nations publication
Sales No. E.10.II.A.12
ISBN 978-92-1-104610-6
Copyright © United Nations, 2010
All rights reserved
Printed at the United Nations, New York

4. FOREWORD
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) face unique and special challenges. The special case of SIDS within the context of sustainable
development was first formally recognized by the international community at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Devel-
opment (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Chapter 17, paragraph 124 of Agenda 21 states, “Small island developing States, and
islands supporting small communities are a special case both for environment and development. They are ecologically fragile and vul-
nerable. Their small size, limited resources, geographic dispersion and isolation from markets, place them at a disadvantage economi-
cally and prevent economies of scale.” Since UNCED, a number of international frameworks were established that shed light on the
limitations faced by SIDS in achieving sustainable development. Agenda 21 highlights that there are special challenges to planning for
and implementing sustainable development in SIDS, and that SIDS will be constrained in meeting these challenges without the coop-
eration and assistance of the international community. In 1994, the Barbados Programme of Action (BPOA) translated Agenda 21 into
specific actions and measures to enable SIDS to achieve sustainable development. In 2005, the Mauritius Strategy (MSI) for the further
Implementation of the BPOA was adopted with a view to addressing the implementation gap that still confronted SIDS. In 2010, a high
level meeting will be convened during the sixty-fifth session of the United Nations General Assembly to carry out a five-year review of
the progress made in addressing the vulnerabilities of SIDS through the MSI.
In support of the five-year review of the MSI, this report highlights key developments and recent trends for SIDS in a number of areas.
Notwithstanding the importance of all the issues contained in the MSI, this publication will present those themes for which sufficient
statistical data has been found to be available, comparable among all three SIDS regions (i.e., Caribbean, Pacific and AIMS), and reflec-
tive of clear trends that illustrate the uniqueness of SIDS. Based on these three criteria, the report will focus on climate change, disaster
management, trade and finance, tourism, energy, natural resources, and social development.
In summary, the report notes progress in a number of areas while, at the same time, acknowledging that significant further efforts will be
needed to advance implementation of the intergovernmentally agreed goals outlined in the MSI, as well as those set forth in the Millen-
nium Development Goals (MDGs).
Tariq Banuri
Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Division for Sustainable Development
June 2010
Foreword << iii >>

5. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
DESA is very appreciative of the support received in preparing this publication, and wishes to acknowledge the kind assistance pro-
vided by the: Sub-regional Headquarters for the Caribbean of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the
Caribbean (ECLAC-POS); Pacific Operations Centre (EPOC) of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the
Pacific (ESCAP); United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD); United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP);
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); United
Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT); United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed
Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS); Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO);
World Tourism Organization (WTO); Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD); International Telecommunication
Union (ITU); Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat; Commonwealth Secretariat (COMSEC); Indian Ocean Commission (IOC);
Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS); South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP); International Union for Conservation
of Nature (IUCN); Global Island Partnership (GLISPA); and Sea Level Rise Foundation.
Acknowledgements << iv >>

6. CONTENTS
PAgE
FOREWORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
INTRODUcTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
DEMOGRAphiC TRENDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
CLiMATE ChANGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
NATuRAL DiSASTER MANAGEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
TRADE AND FiNANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
TOuRiSM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
ENERGy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
NATuRAL RESOuRCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
SOCiAL DEvELOpMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
SuMMARy OF pROGRESS ON
MiLLENNiuM DEvELOpMENT GOALS . . . . . . . . . . 33
REFERENcES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

7. iNTRODuCTiON
Since the international meeting in Mauritius in 2005, substantial progress
has been achieved in SIDS1 in a number of areas. The Millennium ESCAP economic crisis vulnerability index for 24 SIDS
Development Goals Report 2009 noted this progress, but also highlighted compared with the average for all LDCs (SIDS and non-SIDS)4
the importance of renewed and sustained action, especially in light of
1.0
the high vulnerability of the natural, economic and social systems of SIDS LDC SIDS Non-LDC
Economic crisis vulnerability
SIDS. This vulnerability is largely due to intrinsic characteristics of SIDS, 0.8
LDC
including: small size; remoteness; vulnerability to external (demand average
0.6
and supply-side) shocks; narrow resource base; and exposure to global
environmental challenges.2 0.4
The risk is that these and other related vulnerabilities could jeopardize 0.2
the progress achieved thus far. In some cases, improved economic and
governance capacity in SIDS has been offset by reduced resilience to 0.0
Fiji Verde
Co
Sol os
Sao n Isla
Ma tu
Sam
Sey
Ton lles
Gre
Bel
Do
Jam ica
Sai
Sai G
An Vince adin
Do ua an and
Sai
Sur Kitts
Ca
Bar
Pap os
Ma New
Trin ius
Van
external shocks.3
the ucia
pe
tig
mo
nt L
nt ren
nt
min
min d B
om
ldiv
ize
urit
ina
bad
che
nad
ua
ga
ua
ida
aic
oa
Tom nds
r
me nd N
o
ica
es
da
a
a
ea
n R rbud
nd
a
nt es
nd
Gu
epu a
Tob
a
Prin
ine
blic
evi
ago
a
cip
s
e
Source: ESCAP and DESA, based on ESCAP research and methodologies in the ESCAP/
ADB/UNDP (2010) Asia-Pacific Regional Report 2009/10.
The continuing global economic and financial crisis has had dire conse-
quences for the economies of SIDS, while the global food and energy
crises, coupled with the uneven pace of insertion into global trade and
development processes, and the negative impacts of climate change,
have exacerbated the structural vulnerabilities of these countries.
The vulnerabilities of SIDS include exposure to global environmental
challenges, such as climate change (sea level rise, destruction of coral
reefs critical to food security and tourism), biodiversity loss, waste pollu-
tion and acidification of the oceans.
Photo Credit: Shahee
SiDS Trends Report introduction << 1 >>

8. Environmental vulnerability index for 33 SIDS
compared with the average for all LDCs5
500
SIDS LDC SIDS Non-LDC
Environmental vulnerability
400
LDC
average
300
200
100
0
An ada Rep
Co atu land
Ca gua a
Gu ame
Ha lu
Sa i
So oa
Ba u
Jam ad
Tu dives
Se Vinc
Gr inic
Gu oros
Kir
Pa shall
Ba
Su
St. aica d To
Be e Ve d Ba
Ba a N
Va mon
To
Tri a
Ma helle t and
Cu
Ma ati
Sa ea-B
Ma itts a
Na ome au
Fij
Sai
Pa
Do ain
m
lo
yc
rba
va
lau
p
rin as
o T is s
ti
nu
hr
it
en an
ham ew
i
m
ng
lize rde rb
yan
nid
ib
pu
ba
in
ur
nt
Photo Credit: UNDP
r
l
uri
m
K
do
tiu d Ne
a
s
s
an
Is la
Is
n
s
en
n
an
ENDNOTES
nd
Gu
dP
s
s
ine
ub
ba
v is
r in
the
ud
go
lic
a
c ip
1 For the purposes of this publication, the term SIDS refers to the following countries and regional groupings: Carib-
a
Gr
e
bean: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti,
ena
Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago; AIMS: Cape
din
Verde, Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Maldives, Mauritius, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Singapore; Pacific: Cook
es
Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa,
Source: DESA calculations based on United Nations Environment Programme/SOPAC methodology. Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu.
2 UN ECOSOC (2010).
3 UN ESCAP (2010).
Through its 19 themes and seven means of implementation, the MSI offers 4 The economic crisis vulnerability index is defined as the normalized difference between an exposure index and a cop-
ing capacity index. Five indicators are used to measure the exposure to the economic crisis: (a) EXPY (index of export
a platform for addressing the challenges faced by SIDS in achieving sustain- sophistication) per GDP per capita; (b) foreign direct investment (as a percentage of GDP); (c) official development
assistance (as a percentage of GDP); (d) workers’ remittances (as a percentage of GDP), and (e) inbound tourism (as a
able development. Over the past five years, some of the major constraints percentage of GDP). The capacity to mitigate the crisis is assessed using five different indicators: (a) external public debt
stocks to GDP ratio; (b) total reserves in months of imports; (c) gross savings to GDP ratio; (d) government effectiveness:
in the implementation of the MSI have included: declining levels of official World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, and (e) Human Development Index.
development assistance; lack of technical expertise; and financial, technical 5 The Environmental Vulnerability Index is based on 50 indicators covering natural/anthropogenic risks, resilience and
ecosystem integrity, and covers issues related to climate change, biodiversity, water, agriculture and fisheries, human
and institutional challenges in terms of monitoring and evaluation. health, desertification, and exposure to natural disasters.
Although SIDS are confronted with increasing challenges, the growing inter-
national consensus surrounding the need to support SIDS offers an unprec-
edented opportunity to advance their sustainable development efforts.
SiDS Trends Report introduction << 2 >>

9. DEMOGRAphiC TRENDS
The SIDS are a diverse group of countries with respect to est among the SIDS, with 2010 median population ages of 17.4 years
population size, GDP and the median age of their populations. and 18.7 years, respectively. SIDS also demonstrate an overall correla-
On average, Pacific and AIMS SIDS (excluding Singapore and Mauritius) tion between GDP and median population age. Several of the Caribbean
have relatively young populations. This is due in part to lower life expect- SIDS have relatively older populations and higher GDP overall. Singa-
ancy, higher fertility rates, and high rates of emigration of the working age pore, with a 2010 median population age of 40.6, GDP of US$39,423, and
population in some SIDS. Timor-Leste and Guinea-Bissau are the young- a population size of 4.8 million is a clear outlier among the SIDS.
Median population age in relation to population size and GDP (2008 US$)
25,000
Bahamas
20,000
Trinidad and Tobago
15,000 Barbados
GDP (2008 US$)
10,000
Grenada
Dominican Republic
Papua New Guinea Mauritius
Cape Verde Saint Lucia
Vanuatu
Belize
Sao Tome SVG
5,000 Samoa Maldives
and Principe Suriname
Jamaica Cuba
Tonga
Fiji
Timor-Leste FSM
Comoros
Guyana
0
15 20 Haiti 25 30 35 40
Guinea-Bissau
Solomon Islands
-5,000 Population age (years)
Source: UN DESA, 2010; World Bank, World Development Indicators, 2010.
Note: Size of circles represents relative population size.
SiDS Trends Report Demographic Trends << 3 >>

10. Changes in population structure: SIDS average Annual population growth (urban vs. rural): 2008
Proportion of population under 15 years old (percentage)
Less than 15 60 and older
45 40 6
15-59 Proportion of youth 41.6
40
Annual percentage growth
35
4
Population (millions)
35.2
35 30
30 2
25.3 25
25
20 0
20 17.2
16.9
15
Sa inc
Ca
14.8
To
D ep
M
Be
Pa
Se
Ti
Fi
Su
Ha
15 -2
om u
o ip
m
Pr
al
ji
pe
ng
la
yc
liz
rin
it i
R
di
11.3
To e
or
u
he
in blic
e
a
am
Ve
ve
10
-L
m
ic
lle
10
es
s
e
rd
an
e
-4
s
te
an
e
5.8
d
5 3.4 5
-6
0 0
1990 2010 2030 Rural population growth (annual %) Urban population growth (annual %)
Source: UN DESA, 2010. Source: World Bank, World Development Indicatiors, 2010.
The population will continue to age, due to decreasing fertility share the common trend of increasing urbanization. The percentage of
rates and longer life expectancy. the population living in urban areas across all SIDS has increased 11 per
From 43.5 million in 1990, population is expected to reach 70.1 million by cent, from 49.5 per cent in 1990 to 55 per cent in 2008. Increasing urban
2030. The share of people under 15 in the total population is expected to population density is also an important concern for SIDS, the populations
decline, from 34 per cent in 1990 to 24 per cent in 2030. Population aged of which are often concentrated on a few small islands. While densities
15 to 59 is expected to grow from 25 million in 1990 to 42 million in 2030. in excess of 5,000-10,000 people/square kilometre are usually associated
Population aged 60 and above is expected to grow even more rapidly, with urban poverty in Africa and Asia, the capital of the Maldives, Malé,
nearly doubling from 2010 to 2030. is home to nearly a third of the country’s population and has a density of
over 17,000/km². Ebeye in the Marshall Islands had a population density of
38,600/km² in 2007.1 Migration of people to urban settlements, most often
Urbanization is widespread and increasing among the SIDS.
located along the coastline, puts increasing pressure on coastal ecosys-
While the SIDS vary widely with respect to the share of population liv- tems and on the settlements themselves, which must be properly planned
ing in cities and towns, ranging from Singapore, standing at 100 per cent, and responsibly developed to ensure the provision of social services and
to Papua New Guinea and Trinidad and Tobago with 13 per cent, they prevent environmental degradation.
ENDNOTES
1 Haberkorn (2008).
SiDS Trends Report Demographic Trends << 4 >>

11. CLiMATE ChANGE
SIDS are especially vulnerable to climate change due to
their small size, narrow resource base, high susceptibility to
Countries with largest population shares
natural hazards, low economic resilience, and limited human in the Low Elevation Coastal Zone (LECZ)
and technological capacity for mitigating and adapting to the
100
effects of climate change.1 The very existence of low-lying atoll
90
Percent of population in LECZ
nations, such as Kiribati, Maldives, Marshall Islands, and Tuvalu, 80
is threatened by climate change-induced sea-level rise. 70
60
50
Sea-level rise is a key concern for SIDS. 40
A large proportion of the population of many SIDS lives in the low ele- 30
20
vation coastal zone (LECZ), defined as the contiguous area along the
10
coast that is less than 10 metres above sea level.2 These settlements are 0
extremely vulnerable to sea-level rise, storm surges, floods and other
Ne
Ba
Su
Ba
M
Vi
D
G
Ba
M
ng
th
al
jib
et
rin
uy
ha
ac
hr
er
climate change-induced hazards. In 2007, the IPCC estimated that by
di
lad
na
ou
an
am
m
lan
ai
ao
ve
es
m
as
n
a
ti
ds
e
s
h
2100, global warming will lead to a sea-level rise of 180 to 590 mm,
while more recent research suggests that these estimates are likely to
Source: McGranahan, 2006.
be at least twice as large, up to about two meters.3 Nations such as Kiri-
Note: Countries with less than 100,000 people living in the LECZ are excluded in the methodology
bati, Maldives, Marshall Islands and Tuvalu will become uninhabitable used in the source report. Fifteen small island states that are excluded have population shares
greater than 39 per cent in the LECZ.
in this scenario, while a large share of the population of many other
SIDS will be displaced or otherwise adversely impacted.
SIDS contribute little to the problem of climate change,
but greenhouse gas emissions are on the rise.
The combined annual carbon dioxide (CO2) output of SIDS accounts for
less than one per cent of global emissions.4 However, like other coun-
tries, SIDS face serious challenges in reducing emissions and moving to
clean energy. From 1990 to 2006, CO2 emissions of SIDS increased at
an average annual rate of 2.3 per cent. Emissions ranged from as low
SiDS Trends Report Climate Change << 5 >>

12. as 0.16 tons of CO2 per capita in Timor-Leste to as high as 25 tons in
Fossil Fuel CO2 Emissions: 1990-2006 Trinidad and Tobago in 2006.
Other SIDS Mauritius
Trinidad and Tobago Jamaica
Climate change adaptation is a top priority for SIDS.
200
Suriname Dominican Republic In 2001, the UNFCCC decided that the Least Developed Countries (LDCs)
Singapore Cuba
180 “should be assisted in preparing National Adaptation Programs of Action
Papua New Guinea Bahamas
160 (NAPAs) to address urgent and immediate needs and concerns related to
adaptation to the adverse effects of climate change.” Assisted by the Glo-
Metric tons (millions)
140
120 bal Environment Facility (GEF) and funded by the LDC Fund, NAPAs were
100 developed for 11 of the 12 SIDS which are also LDCs. Overall, SIDS have
80 made major efforts to carry out climate change adaptation measures, but
60 progress thus far has seemed to focus on public awareness, research and
40 policy development rather than on implementation, largely due to finan-
20 cial and technological constraints.6 The extent to which different thematic
0 areas vulnerable to climate change are addressed in adaptation plans var-
ies among the SIDS. Areas of greatest concern are water resources, agri-
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
00
01
02
03
04
05
06
culture and food security, and the protection of coastal zones, found in
Source: UN MDG Indicators Database, 2010 (CDIAC data). over 85 per cent of adaptation plans.
Note: Other SIDS does not include the Federated States of Micronesia or Tuvalu.
Data excludes emissions from bunker fuels and land use-related emissions.
Climate change adaptation focus areas across SIDS
100
Percentage of adaptation communications
90
addressing each thematic area
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
W Ag Pr He Fo Fi Hu Bi Co Pr To En W
at ric ot alt re sh m od ra ot u er a
er
ul ec h s try er
ie an ive lr ec ris
m gy ste
re tu tio s se rs ee tio m
sou re n ity fs n an
of ttl of ag
rc an em
e s d co en in em
fo as fra en
od ta ts st t
se lz ru
cu on ct
es ur
rit es
y
Photo Credit: Reuters Source: SIDS Unit, based on NAPAs and UNFCCC National Communications.
SiDS Trends Report Climate Change << 6 >>

13. Addressing climate change in the Maldives
The small size and extremely low elevation of the coral islands that
make up the Maldives place the residents and their livelihoods
under threat from climate change, particularly sea-level rise. The
highest land point is a mere 2.4 metres above sea level, and over
80 per cent of the total land area is less than 1m above sea level. At
present, 42 per cent of the population and 47 per cent of all housing
structures are within 100m of coastline, placing them under severe
threat of inundation.5 Over the last 6 years, more than 90 inhabited
islands have been flooded at least once and 37 islands have been
flooded regularly or at least once a year. During the 2004 tsunami,
many of the islands were completely submerged, illustrating their
critical vulnerability.
Given the severity of anticipated sea-level rise, population reloca-
tion is viewed as inevitable. The government has planned to begin
diverting a portion of the country’s annual tourism revenue for the
establishment of an investment fund, with a view to purchasing
‘dry land’ to ensure a safe haven for future evacuation. Maldives’
planned evacuations in anticipation of loss of land will inevitably
impact sovereignty and national identity.
Although Maldives contributes very little to the problem of climate
change, the government has pledged to make the country carbon-
neutral within a decade. Toward this goal, clean electricity would
power not only homes and businesses, but also vehicles. As an
added benefit, Maldives would no longer need to import expensive
fossil fuels.
In addition to relocation and mitigation options, Maldives has
focused on reducing vulnerability to sea-level rise through adapta- ENDNOTES
tion measures, including undertaking detailed technical and engi- 1 Nurse (2000).
neering studies to identify coastal protection options; re-forestation 2 McGranahan (2007).
to prevent beach erosion; cleaning litter and debris from the coral 3 Estimates are based on a conservative climate sensitivity parameter. The non-linear nature of climate sensitivity implies an
increasing probability of much higher sea-level rise.
reefs – a natural barrier against tidal surges; teaching environmen- 4 UN-OHRLLS (2009).
tal science in school; and imposing rigorous environmental impact 5 Government of the Republic of Maldives (2010).
assessment on all new resorts. 6 UN ECOSOC (2010).
SiDS Trends Report Climate Change << 7 >>

14. NATuRAL DiSASTER
MANAGEMENT
Natural disasters in many SIDS have undone the development
achievements of years, even decades. Climate change induced Total number of disasters affecting SIDS
natural disasters, such as cyclones, floods and droughts have by type of disaster: 1990 - 2009
increased in frequency and intensity over the past few decades,
Extreme Temperature
further hampering SIDS’ ability to recover between extreme Wildfire 0%
events. Resources continue to flow primarily to post-disaster 1%
Epidemic Earthquake
7%
activities rather than towards disaster risk reduction and the Drought
10%
5%
improvement of coping capacity.1
Mass movement
3%
V olcano
4%
Storm
45%
Flood
25%
Source: EMDAT: The OFDA/CRED International Disaster Database, 2010.
Natural disasters, particularly storms and floods,
have been increasing in frequency and intensity
Hydro-meteorological disasters, including cyclones, tropical storms and
other windstorm related events, are the most common, accounting for
an estimated 45 per cent of all natural disasters in SIDS, but the share of
the damage impact is even larger. Significant flooding is one of the after-
effects of cyclones, estimated to cause 25 per cent of the disasters.
Worldwide, ten of the fifteen most extreme events reported over the past
half century have occurred in the last fifteen years. In addition to being
increasingly vulnerable in terms of exposure to natural disasters, SIDS
also face a number of threats which further weaken their coping capacity,
including urbanisation and environmental degradation. Increased urban-
Photo Credit: NASA
SiDS Trends Report Natural Disaster Management << 8 >>

15. Number of SIDS affected by natural disasters
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
1970 1973 1976 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003 2006 2009
Source: EMDAT: The OFDA/CRED International Disaster Database, 2010.
Note: Including extreme temperatures, earthquakes, storms, floods, volcanoes,
mass movements and droughts.
isation and coastal development concentrate risk, while environmental
Estimated damages from natural disasters and degradation in the form of deforestation, coral bleaching and loss of
total population affected in SIDS mangroves removes natural protective barriers.
6000 7,000,000
The social and economic impacts of natural disasters are
5000 6,000,000 especially pronounced in SIDS
Estimated damage (millions $)
Population affected
4000
5,000,000 SIDS, due to their small size, large share of the population living in haz-
4,000,000
ard-prone coastal areas, and limited capacity for disaster risk reduction,
3000 are particularly vulnerable. The increase in the frequency and intensity of
3,000,000
natural disasters translates into larger numbers of people affected and
2000
2,000,000 greater economic damages. The increasing cost of disaster insurance
1000 1,000,000
due to the higher frequency of extreme events has significant implica-
tions for resilience.
0 0
1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Estimated Damage (US$) Total population affected
Source: EMDAT: The OFDA/CRED International Disaster Database, 2010.
SiDS Trends Report Natural Disaster Management << 9 >>

16. Capital accumulation in Samoa, Saint Lucia and Progress in implementing
Grenada from 1970 to 2006, in relative terms. the Hyogo Framework of Action, 2009
Actual Time trend
Index of achievement (averaged per priority),
5
1,200 3,000 2,500
1,000 Samoa 2,500 Saint Lucia Grenada 4.5
2,000 2,000 4
800
1,500 3.5
600 1,500
1,000
scale of 0 to 5
400 3
500
200 1,000 2.5
0
0 -500 2
500
-200 -1,500 1.5
-400 0 1
1970 1980 1990 2000 1970 1980 1990 2000 1970 1980 1990 2000 0.5
0
Making disaster Risk assessment Education, Reducing Preparedness for
Source: Baritto, 2008. risk reduction a and early warning information and underlying effective response
policy priority, systems public awareness risk
Note: Capital accumulation is described in relative terms for trend comparison purposes. institutional factors
strengthening
SIDS economies have suffered long term consequences
from natural disasters Source: PreventionWeb, 2010.
Samoa, Saint Lucia, Grenada, Vanuatu, Tonga and Maldives lead the list of Note: Data based on SIDS that reported in 2009: Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Maldives,
Mauritius, Saint Lucia, Singapore, Vanuatu.
180 countries with the highest economic losses on capital stock in relative
terms due to natural disasters from 1970 to 2006.2 In the case of Samoa,
Disaster risk reduction initiatives are lagging in many SIDS
due to the relatively small size of its economy, the damages from a tropical
storm and a forest fire in 1983 as well as three tropical storms in a row from The Hyogo Framework of Action (HFA) for disaster risk reduction aims to
1989 to 1990, may have set its capital stock back more than 35 years. substantially reduce disaster losses by 2015 — in lives, and in the social,
economic, and environmental assets of countries — by offering guiding
principles, priorities for action, and practical means for achieving disas-
ter resilience for vulnerable communities. Of the SIDS that adopted the
framework at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction (2005), only
four currently have national platforms for disaster reduction. Six SIDS sub-
mitted reports on progress in the implementation of the HFA in 2007, and
seven in 2009.3 While disaster risk reduction continues to be a policy prior-
ity across SIDS, capacity constraints and limited financing hinder imple-
mentation, as well as evaluation and reporting.
SiDS Trends Report Natural Disaster Management << 10 >>

17. Coping with natural disasters in Grenada
In September 2004, Ivan, a category 3 hurricane, struck Grenada,
battering and destroying 90 per cent of homes, causing damages
estimated at US$900 million – more than twice the country’s GDP,
and leaving at least 39 people dead. Crop damage was nearly
100 per cent for banana and sugar cane. Only two of the island’s
75 primary and secondary schools survived with minimal damage.
Then, in April 2005, Hurricane Emily (category 1) struck, causing a
further US$110 million of damage.
In the aftermath of the hurricanes’ destruction, the government
recognized that the country’s public debt was unsustainable and
initiated a collaborative debt restructuring process. A home-grown
comprehensive medium-term reform program was launched, with
the key objectives of sustaining high economic growth, restoring
fiscal and debt sustainability, reducing vulnerabilities, and alleviat-
ing poverty.
By December 2005, the tourism sector had recovered, as 96 per
cent of all hotel rooms had been reopened with strengthened
and upgraded facilities based on an improved building code. The
country’s real GDP growth averaged 7 per cent per year during
2005-2006, while inflation fell markedly, from a high of 5.8 per cent ENDNOTES
in late 2005, to only 2.2 per cent by April 2007. 1 UN ECOSOC (2010).
2 Baritto (2008).
3 PreventionWeb (2010).
SiDS Trends Report Natural Disaster Management << 11 >>