IMPROVING THE MANAGEMENT AND SUSTAINABLE USE OF MARINE AND COASTAL RESOURCES OF SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES

SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES

SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES

Custodians of a vast ocean domain. Out of 79 members of the Organization of Africa, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) 39 are SIDS, geographically dispersed across the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific regions. They cover a land area of about 1.725.024 km² and are the home to about 95 million people, just over 1% of world’s population. Their overall landmass and population may be relatively small but, collectively, they have jurisdiction over a vast ocean domain in the tropical Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. Their Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) make-up about 20% of the world’s oceans.

Biodiversity hotspots

Most OACPS SIDS are entirely within biodiversity hotspots. An estimated 19% of coral reefs in the world are in SIDS with the Coral Triangle in the Pacific, alone containing 75% of the world’s coral species.

Vulnerabilities

SIDS face unique challenges due to their size, remoteness, and vulnerability to climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. The social and economic prospects of SIDS are threatened by a wide range of risks weighing on the world’s Ocean, such as the overexploitation of marine resources and ecosystem degradation.

Main Threats

Biodiversity Loss
Sea-Level Rise
Extreme Weather Events Hurricanes/Cyclones
Environmental Degradation
Coral Bleaching
Poor Coastal Development

Blue Economy

The Blue economy is a unifying vision underlying the future aspirations of SIDS.
Healthy marine ecosystems play a pivotal role in sustaining the livelihoods, health and well-being of local communities, and in bolstering the economies of these island states.

Key Sectors

SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES
COASTAL TOURISM
MARITIME TRANSPORT
INTRA-ACP SUPPORT PROGRAMME FOR SIDS AESA Logo