Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are on the frontlines of climate change. They consistently rank high on a range of risk and climate vulnerability indices and have limited ability to withstand significant shocks and changes. Maladaptive and climate insensitive development practices – such as coastal squeeze, high import dependency, and centralised energy systems – magnify SIDS’ climate vulnerability. The goal of this project is to enhance small islands’ capacity to adapt to climate change through more inclusive, and research-informed decision environments. It is centred on mitigating socio-metabolic risk related to critical resource availability, material circulation integrity, and (in)equities in cost and benefit distributions. Mitigating socio-metabolic risk is crucial for small islands to withstand climate impacts and avoid cascading dysfunction of environmental, economic, and social systems. The project will be carried out in four pilot studies located in Mauritius, the Maldives and Fiji. This will create hubs of innovation, scalable and systems-changing climate resilience approaches to enhance understanding of small island climate adaptation capacities and possibilities.

Photo Credit: Alain Schroeder