As SIDS work to sustainably rebuild their economies following the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever to highlight the opportunities of the ocean for resilient low-carbon growth. In a Blue Economy and Large Ocean States approach, the ocean is central for job creation, improved livelihoods, climate resilience, food security and competitive exports. Two conditions are of paramount importance to ensure this transformation in SIDS: protection of ocean health and unlocking of private investments.

This week was marked by two important events aiming at mobilizing partnerships and commitments to realize these two conditions - both hosted by the Republic of Palau. Palau has led the world in ocean innovations and protection measures, hosting one of the largest marine protected areas in the world—the Palau National Marine Sanctuary— which includes 80 percent of the country’s exclusive economic zone.

First, the SIDS Global Business Forum Network was held on April 12 in Palau, focused on ocean partnerships to enhance resilience in island nations and called for private sector partnerships for ocean-based sectors, to unlock new, sustainable economic opportunities that can foster diversification and resilience in SIDS. While the public sector can provide the enabling environment to accelerate the blue economy, private sector partnerships and additional financial resources are needed to operationalize this transformation through the development of poorly explored ocean sectors like renewable marine energies, aquaculture, and marine biotechnologies.

The second major event this week is the 7th Our Ocean Conference co-hosted by the Republic of Palau and the United States. The President of Palau Surangel S. Whipps, Jr., and the United States’ Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John F. Kerry, called on countries to "help make 2022 a turning point in protecting our ocean, while securing healthier communities and a cleaner planet” by decarbonizing the shipping sector, protecting and restoring blue carbon ecosystems, promoting sustainable fisheries, and confronting marine pollution.

In SIDS, the full development potential cannot be realized through the blue economy alone, and the ongoing digital revolution will be a formidable catalyst for this transformation. UNDP’s SIDS offer Rising up for SIDS, warrants an integrated approach where amplifying climate action and catalyzing digital transformation are also part of the equation. In this issue of the SIDS Bulletin, we highlight these interlinkages by showcasing how digital platforms are supporting community solar investment in Barbados, dialogues on climate action in the Marshall Islands, tree-planting in Comoros, a biosphere reserve in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and a new partnership to end plastic waste in Samoa.

Image: Charly W. Karl

#UNDP4SIDS #RisingUpForSIDS

SIDS have repeatedly shown they are vanguards of climate solutions, especially as the need to build resilience by leveraging nature-based solutions has become an urgent priority for all countries, particularly large-state oceans such as the Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI).

Sea-level rise in RMI has already resulted in increasing floods and the deterioration of drinking and cooking water. In addition, rising sea levels in the Marshall Islands are expected to put 40 percent of current structures in the capital, Majuro, in jeopardy, with 96 percent of the city at risk of flooding as a result of climate change. As climate-related security issues are compromising the Marshallese people's future well-being, the country is ambitiously acting to tackle environmental security threats via transformative interventions that concentrate on the pressing needs of local communities.

Through their Ridge to Reef project, the RMI aims to integrate the management of terrestrial and coastal resources on key atolls/islands to protect biodiversity and livelihoods by increasing community and ecological resilience to threats and degrading effects through a five-year initiative that uses an integrated strategy to improve natural resource management in atoll communities and safeguard biodiversity.

This initiative intends to assist in the implementation of the Reimaanlok, Micronesia's National Conservation Area Plan, which was enacted in 2008 and aspires to effectively protect at least 30% of nearshore marine resources and 20% of terrestrial resources by 2020. The RMI are thus acting to accelerate the achievement of a more inclusive Blue Economy in SIDS. This project is relevant for SIDS and all coastal countries given the missed target of conserving at least 10 percent of coastal and marine areas (SDG 14.5) and the increasing scientific evidence that no-take MPAs provide benefits to fishers, communities and ecosystems In the run-up to the United Nations Biodiversity Conference in Kunming, China, the international community has an opportunity to accelerate conservation efforts at all levels and raise the protection ambition to 30% by 2030.

Comoros demonstrates leadership through its ambitious tree-planting initiative "One Comoros, One Tree"

Agriculture makes up 50% of the GDP of Comoros and employs up to 70% of its labor force. As the effects of climate change threaten to derail the recently gained development progress, it is essential to increase its climate adaptation and mitigation efforts.

To this end, and following the high-level political commitment announced during COP26 last year, the Comoros government has converted its promises to action through its reforestation campaign entitled “One Comorian, One Tree”, with support from UNDP through projects on resilience to climate change funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and Global Environment Facility (GEF).

More pressure than ever is being placed on its forests. Moreover, United Nations models indicate a potential reduction in dry-season rainfall of up to 47 percent by 2090 in the Small Island Developing State, increased rains in the wet season, and more severe cyclones hitting the country.

This nationwide campaign could therefore not come at a better time, with plans to plant 613,000 new trees on 571 hectares of land throughout the country. Beyond reforestation, the campaign has elements of youth engagement, awareness-raising, and restoring biodiversity through planting endemic species.

The benefits can be multiplied as highlighted by Andaliyat Mohammed, a curator and plant biology expert at the Comoros National Herbarium: “Green spaces in cities not only help mitigate the effects of air pollution through the reduction of photochemical ozone formation and CO2, they also reduce the urban heat effect (heat trapped in built-up areas) and contribute to reducing energy demand for air cooling by providing shade and evapotranspiration. Culturally, planting trees provide value for the enjoyment of the general public and allow them to rediscover endogenous species formerly spread on the coast of the capital town”.

The transition to renewable energy is urgently needed for SIDS. One of the priority areas of the SAMOA Pathway is sustainable energy, recognising that dependence on imported fossil fuels has been a major source of economic vulnerability and a key challenge for SIDS. The UNDP SIDS Offer has an objective for 6 million people in SIDS to have access to clean energy by 2030. A key factor for achieving SDG 7 in SIDS will be the deployment of sustainable energy technologies as an effective tool to raise productivity and competitiveness, energy security, energy access, and affordability, and to address the negative externalities of conventional energy systems. Reducing energy imports will build greater autonomy and stability in SIDS economies by accelerating the clean energy transition fundamental for their recovery. 

As such, many SIDS are also among the world's most ambitious on the renewable energy agenda, such as Barbados' National Energy Policy with a target to be 100% renewable by 2030 and Samoa's plan to reach full renewables by 2025. However, incentivizing investment in the sector is challenging with high up-front costs, bottlenecks, and bureaucratic procedures to navigate for installations. A Barbados company is transforming investment in the sector by offering an open digital investment platform that enables the public to make a de-risked investment in the sector and to provide the opportunity to make a profit from solar energy. Cloudsolar has helped more than 500 Barbadians invest in clean energy, making an average return of 8-10%, with an overall anticipated investment of up to $60 million in the solar industry over the next few years, with a 20-megawatt pipeline. The digital platform enables users to buy distributed solar assets to earn solar credits. The community solar project converts solar energy into electricity to power the Barbados electrical grid.

The aim is to democratize the sector so that anyone can own a piece of the new emerging industry and actively participate in the energy transformation of the island. The Cloudsolar model is intended for scaling and has the potential to be replicated in other SIDS. It has the potential to help small islanders to take greater control over their future energy needs and to reduce their vulnerability as price takers in this volatile market.

SIDS youth are not only the leaders of tomorrow – they are actively innovating to confront the challenges of today. The new generation of dynamic leaders in SIDS have proven that they have a necessary perspective bridging traditional knowledge systems and modern technologies, and need to be enabled through further technical and financial resources to implement their ideas. Youth representatives from SIDS were important voices in designing the priorities of the SAMOA Pathway, and have continued to play an important role during the Covid-19 pandemic when seeking solutions to the multi-dimensional crises in SIDS in energy, food security, and economic diversification.

Youth are a large contingent of the SIDS community - in the Caribbean, 63% of the population is under 30. Young island leaders are also highly mobile and digitally interconnected. One challenge is linked to energy poverty in SIDS, which limits inclusivity in education and opportunities for youth. To address energy inequalities for youth, regional and national policy priorities are being aligned so their voices can be amplified equally.

Inclusive technological capacity can be cultivated for those digital tools most used in climate analytics and policymaking, including geospatial analytic tools and data science methods which can help equip youth to analyze their vulnerabilities and methods to address them. Design of technology must be local and community led, and youth as ambassadors of the technological revolution have a key role in ensuring that technology speaks to local needs and opportunities.

In recognition of World Water Day on March 22, it is important to reflect on SIDS’ progress toward meeting SDG 6 on access to clean water and sanitation. Freshwater resources in SIDS, often limited primarily to groundwater, are exposed to several challenges including extreme weather events, declining water quality, and increased exploitation from demand for consumption and industry. 71% of SIDS face risks related to water shortage, especially those with a population that lives closest to sea level. These challenges result in difficulty in access to sanitation and safe drinking water as well as in the protection of sensitive ecosystems. 

SIDS are developing innovative approaches tailoring solutions to their complex geographical and socioeconomic constraints, and adopting sustainable management systems to adapt to vulnerabilities in groundwater systems and improve human and institutional capacity and technical knowledge. Monitoring freshwater quantity and quality is necessary to optimize the productive use of these resources across diverse sectoral demands, but geographic challenges have limited the access to information necessary for decision-making, which can be optimized to manage climate risk. These data can also be integrated into mapping and resource planning, such as in the newly released Caribbean Rainwater Harvesting Toolbox.