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Managing Climate Change Adaptation in the Pacific Region pp 45–68Cite as

“Adaptation in Small Islands: Research Themes and Gaps”

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Part of the book series: Climate Change Management ((CCM))

Abstract

This paper classifies the literature relating to adaptation in small island developing states (SIDS), especially in the Pacific Islands, with a view to identifying gaps where further research could facilitate useful action. The main themes emerging are: (1) Social issues. (2) sectoral impacts of climate change. (3) community-based adaptation (on which most studies are only in informal literature). (4) relocation of communities, both internationally (widely studied though little acted on as yet) or in-country (an emerging response in the Pacific but comparatively little studied). (5) financing at various levels for adaptation (far outweighed by financing for mitigation), (6) islander perceptions of climate change and their information sources. Researchers based in the islands and regional organisations have an important role in recognising these issues and in developing the local skills base needed to deal with them. The Paris Agreement of 2015 is a positive (but as yet inadequate) step towards the international action on climate change that small island developing states need. It would be particularly useful for researchers to document more cases of successes and failures (and the reasons for them) in community-based adaptation, community relocation (especially in-country relocation), and adaptation (or lack of it) in looser peri-urban communities. Researchers can also greatly assist the positions of the islands’ negotiators by documenting the economic and social costs incurred by current and projected climate change, the effectiveness (or otherwise) of the financing mechanisms, and the extent to which ‘loss and damage’ is being incurred.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Note that there is a variety of other definitions in the literature. In particular the Fiji Planned relocation guidelines define community relocation as “The voluntary, planned and coordinated movement of climate-displaced persons within [a State] to suitable locations, away from risk-prone areas, where they can enjoy the full spectrum of rights including housing, land and property rights and all other livelihood and related rights.”

  2. 2.

    ‘Traced back’ allows for people born near Honiara, but whose parents or [great-]grandparents moved from Ontong Java.

  3. 3.

    The current President of Kiribati, Mr Taneti Maamau, prefers not to consider mass migration, and looks instead to ambitious engineering adaptations (for which funding is as yet uncertain) to protect the people and culture of Kiribati (Tong and Rytz 2018).

  4. 4.

    Although the meeting was actually held in Bonn (Germany) for logistical reasons.

  5. 5.

    Lopez-Carr and Marter-Kenyon (2015) have been prominent in urging planned relocation as a priority both for research and action.

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Acknowledgements

This paper is an updated version of an earlier review by Weir and Pittock (2017). I thank Melanie Pill of ANU for her helpful comments on an earlier draft.

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    Tony Weir

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Weir, T. (2020). “Adaptation in Small Islands: Research Themes and Gaps”. In: Leal Filho, W. (eds) Managing Climate Change Adaptation in the Pacific Region. Climate Change Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-40552-6_3

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