Under the motto, Charting the course towards resilient prosperity, the event in the islands of Antigua and Barbudas aims to evaluate the capacity of SIDS to achieve their development, an aspect that encompasses the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals.
These nations, which occupy less than 0.5 percent of the global land area, are spread across the following three regions: the Caribbean, the Pacific and Atlantic, the Indian Ocean, and the South China Sea.
From an environmental point of view, although the extensive marine areas surrounding SIDS serve as vital resources for their communities and economies, they also increase their own fragility.
With population densities higher than the world average, SIDS are susceptible to the catastrophic effects of natural disasters, which generate annual damage costs estimated between one to eight percent of their gross domestic product.
These threats make their fragile terrestrial and marine ecosystems prone to biodiversity loss and the impacts of climate change.
Data from the event’s official website highlights that these countries contribute less than one percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, however, they suffer disproportionately from the impacts of climate change.
For example, around 75 percent of these nations’ coral reefs are threatened by climate change and the cost of environmental adaptation is between $22 billion and $26 billion annually, evidencing the need to urgent global cooperation and assistance.
The IV International Conference on Small Island Developing States will bring together experts and policymakers to assess the progress of their sustainable development and propose new partnerships and solutions that advance these countries’ path towards strong and adaptable prosperity.
mem/alb
