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 UNITED NATIONS

Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States A/CONF.167/9 October 1994

 

REPORT OF THE GLOBAL CONFERENCE ON THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES

Bridgetown, Barbados, 25 April-6 May 1994

 

 

 

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CONTENTS

I. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE CONFERENCE

Resolution 1. Adoption of texts on the sustainable development of small island developing States

Annexes

I. Declaration of Barbados

II. Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States

Resolution 2. Expression of gratitude to the people and Government of Barbados

Resolution 3. Credentials of representatives to the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States

Resolution 4. Elections in South Africa

 

II. PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONFERENCE

A. Attendance and organization of work

B. General debate

C. Report of the Main Committee and action taken by the Conference

D. Report of the Credentials Committee

E. High-level segment of the Conference

F. Adoption of the report of the Conference

G. Closure of the Conference

 

Annexes

I. List of documents before the Conference

II. Opening statement by H.E. Mr. L. Erskine Sandiford, Prime Minister of Barbados and President of the Conference

III. Presidential summary of the high-level segment of the Conference

IV. List of participating non-governmental organizations

 

 

 

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Chapter I

RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE CONFERENCE

Resolution 1

 

Adoption of texts on the sustainable development of small island developing States

 

The Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States,

 

Having met in Bridgetown, Barbados, from 25 April to 6 May 1994,

 

1. Adopts the Declaration of Barbados and the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, which are annexed to the present resolution;

 

2. Recommends to the General Assembly of the United Nations at its forty-ninth session that it endorse the texts referred to in paragraph 1 above.

 

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Annex I

DECLARATION OF BARBADOS

 

We the States participating in the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States,

 

Having met in Bridgetown, Barbados from 25 April to 6 May 1994,

 

Reaffirming the principles and commitments to sustainable development embodied in the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, 1/ Agenda 21 2/ and the Non-legally Binding Authoritative Statement of Principles for a Global Consensus on the Management, Conservation and Sustainable Development of All Types of Forests, 3/ which were adopted by the nations of the world at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development on 14 June 1992, as well as in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 4/ and the Convention on Biological Diversity, 5/

 

Recognizing that the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States translates Agenda 21 into specific policies, actions and measures to be taken at the national, regional and international levels to enable small island developing States to achieve sustainable development,

 

Part One

 

Affirm that:

 

I

 

1. The survival of small island developing States is firmly rooted in their human resources and cultural heritage, which are their most significant assets; those assets are under severe stress and all efforts must be taken to ensure the central position of people in the process of sustainable development.

 

2. Sustainable development programmes must seek to enhance the quality of life of peoples, including their health, well-being and safety.

 

3. Full attention should be given to gender equity and to the important role and contribution of women, as well as to the needs of women and other major groups, including children, youth and indigenous people.

 

II

 

Small island developing States have sovereign rights over their own natural resources. Their biodiversity is among the most threatened in the world and their ecosystems provide ecological corridors linking major areas of biodiversity around the world. They bear responsibility for a significant portion of the world's oceans and seas and their resources. The efforts of small island developing States to conserve, protect and restore their ecosystems deserve international cooperation and partnership.

 

III

 

1. Small island developing States are particularly vulnerable to natural as well as environmental disasters and have a limited capacity to respond to and recover from such disasters.

 

2. While small island developing States are among those that contribute least to global climate change and sealevel rise, they are among those that would suffer most from the adverse effects of such phenomena and could in some cases become uninhabitable. Therefore, they are among those particularly vulnerable States that need assistance under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, including adaptation measures and mitigation efforts.

 

3. Small island developing States share with all nations a critical interest in the protection of coastal zones and oceans against the effects of land-based sources of pollution.

 

4. Limited freshwater resources, increasing amounts of waste and hazardous substances, and limited facilities for waste disposal combine to make pollution prevention, waste management and the transboundary movement of hazardous materials critical issues for small island developing States.

 

IV

 

Small island developing States are limited in size, have vulnerable economies and are dependent both upon narrow resource bases and on international trade, without the means of influencing the terms of that trade.

 

V

 

To enhance their national capacities and self-reliance, small island developing States, with the assistance and support of the international community, should actively promote human resources development programmes including education, training and skills development. Their institutional and administrative capacity to implement the programme of action must be strengthened at all levels by supportive partnerships and cooperation, including technical assistance, the further development of legislation and mechanisms for information sharing.

 

VI

 

There is an urgent need in small island developing States to address the constraints to sustainable development, including scarce land resources, which lead to difficult land and agriculture use decisions; limited fresh water; education and training needs; health and human settlement requirements; inordinate pressures on coastal and marine environment and resources; and limited means available to exploit natural resources on a sustainable basis.

 

VII

 

1. The special role of non-governmental organizations and the importance of a partnership between Governments, intergovernmental organizations and agencies, non-governmental organizations and other major groups in implementing Agenda 21 and the programme of action at the national, subregional, regional and international levels should be recognized.

 

2. That partnership should include efforts to increase public awareness of the outcomes and follow-up of the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States through all available means of communication.

 

Part Two

 

Declare that:

 

I

 

Based on the principle of the right to development, small island developing States should, in accordance with their own priorities, endeavour to achieve the goals of sustainable development by, inter alia, formulating and implementing policies, strategies and programmes that take into account development, health and environmental goals, strengthening national institutions, and mobilizing all available resources, all of which are aimed at improving the quality of life.

 

II

 

Through regional and subregional cooperation, small island developing States and the international community should encourage strong functional cooperation in the promotion of sustainable development by sharing information and technology, strengthening institutions and building capacity.

 

III

 

1. The international community should cooperate with small island developing States in the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States by providing effective means, including adequate, predictable new and additional financial resources in accordance with chapter 33 of Agenda 21; facilitating the transfer of environmentally sound technology, including on concessional and preferential terms as mutually agreed, taking into account the need to protect intellectual property rights as well as the special needs of developing countries; and promoting fair, equitable and non-discriminatory trading arrangements and a supportive international economic system.

 

2. The international community has a responsibility to facilitate the efforts of small island developing States to minimize the stress on their fragile ecosystems, including through cooperative action and partnership.

 

3. To achieve sustainable development and a higher quality of life for all people, including people of small island developing States, all States should reduce and eliminate unsustainable patterns of production and consumption, and should promote appropriate demographic policies.

 

4. The international community should build new and equitable partnerships for the sustainable development of small island developing States through the implementation of the Programme of Action and should send a powerful message to the world's peoples on the possibilities of joint action undertaken with a sense of common purpose and partnership.

 

Notes

 

1/ Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992, vol. I, Resolutions Adopted by the Conference (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.93.I.8 and corrigendum), resolution 1, annex I.

 

2/ Ibid., annex II.

 

3/ Ibid., annex III.

 

4/ A/AC.237/18 (Part II)/Add.1, annex I.

 

5/ See United Nations Environment Programme, Convention on Biological Diversity (Environmental Law and Institutions Programme Activity Centre), June 1992.

 

 

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Annex II

PROGRAMME OF ACTION FOR THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF

SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES

 

 

 

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CONTENTS

PREAMBLE

I. CLIMATE CHANGE AND SEALEVEL RISE

II. NATURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTERS

III. MANAGEMENT OF WASTES

IV. COASTAL AND MARINE RESOURCES

V. FRESHWATER RESOURCES

VI. LAND RESOURCES

VII. ENERGY RESOURCES

VIII. TOURISM RESOURCES

IX. BIODIVERSITY RESOURCES

X. NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITY

XI. REGIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND TECHNICAL COOPERATION

XII. TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION

XIII. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

XIV. HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

XV. IMPLEMENTATION, MONITORING AND REVIEW

 

 

 

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PREAMBLE

1. In 1992, at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, the world community adopted Agenda 21. 1/ Agenda 21 reflects a global consensus and political commitment at the highest level on development and environment cooperation. The cooperation of all States is a prerequisite for the fulfilment of the objectives of Agenda 21. Such cooperation must also respond to the special circumstances and particular vulnerabilities of countries through adequate and specific approaches.

 

2. The Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States is the first global conference on sustainable development and the implementation of Agenda 21. Agenda 21 represents a comprehensive document, carefully negotiated and wherever referred to in the present Programme of Action should be looked to as a whole.

 

3. The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development 2/ identifies human beings as being at the centre of concerns for sustainable development. Development initiatives in small island developing States should be seen in relation to both the needs and aspirations of human beings and their responsibility towards present and future generations. Small island developing States have valuable resources, including oceans, coastal environments, biodiversity and, most importantly, human resources. Their potential is recognized, but the challenge for small island developing States is to ensure that they are used in a sustainable way for the well-being of present and future generations. Although they are afflicted by economic difficulties and confronted by development imperatives similar to those of developing countries generally, small island developing States also have their own peculiar vulnerabilities and characteristics, so that the difficulties they face in the pursuit of sustainable development are particularly severe and complex.

 

4. There are many disadvantages that derive from small size, which are magnified by the fact that many island States are not only small but are themselves made up of a number of small islands. Those disadvantages include a narrow range of resources, which forces undue specialization; excessive dependence on international trade and hence vulnerability to global developments; high population density, which increases the pressure on already limited resources; overuse of resources and premature depletion; relatively small watersheds and threatened supplies of fresh water; costly public administration and infrastructure, including transportation and communication; and limited institutional capacities and domestic markets, which are too small to provide significant scale economies, while their limited export volumes, sometimes from remote locations, lead to high freight costs and reduced competitiveness. Small islands tend to have high degrees of endemism and levels of biodiversity, but the relatively small numbers of the various species impose high risks of extinction and create a need for protection.

 

5. The small size of small island developing States means that development and environment are closely interrelated and interdependent. Recent human history contains examples of entire islands rendered uninhabitable through environmental destruction owing to external causes; small island developing States are fully aware that the environmental consequences of ill-conceived development can have catastrophic effects. Unsustainable development threatens not only the livelihood of people but also the islands themselves and the cultures they nurture. Climate change, climate variability and sealevel rise are issues of grave concern. Similarly, the biological resources on which small island developing States depend are threatened by the large-scale exploitation of marine and terrestrial living resources.

 

6. Many small island developing States are entirely or predominantly coastal entities. Due to the small size, isolation and fragility of island ecosystems, their renowned biological diversity is among the most threatened in the world. This requires that in pursuing development special attention be paid to protecting the environment and people's livelihoods. It also requires the integrated management of resources.

 

7. In some small island developing States, the rate of population growth exceeds the rate of economic growth, placing serious and increasing pressure on the capacity of those countries to provide basic services to their people and placing a heavy burden on women in particular as heads of households. Although their population density may be high, many small island developing States have small populations in absolute terms, insufficient to generate economies of scale in several areas, and they therefore have limited scope for the full utilization of certain types of highly specialized expertise. They experience high levels of migration, particularly of skilled human resources, which not only places an undue burden on training facilities but also forces them to import high-cost foreign expertise.

 

8. The lack of opportunities for achieving economies of scale, together with their narrow resource base, tends to limit the total production of small island developing States to a narrow range of crops, minerals and industries, both manufacturing and services. Any adverse development concerning those productive sectors, whether arising from market factors, natural or environmental constraints, is likely to lead to significant reductions in output, a fall in foreign-exchange earnings and increased unemployment.

 

9. Partly because of their small size and partly because of their vulnerability to natural and environmental disasters, most small island developing States are classified as high-risk entities, which has led to insurance and reinsurance being either unavailable or exorbitantly expensive, with adverse consequences for investment, production costs, government finances and infrastructure.

 

10. Because the per capita income of many small island developing States tends to be higher than that of developing countries as a group, they tend to have limited access to concessionary resources. However, analysis of the economic performance of small island developing States suggests that current incomes are often facilitated by migrant remittances, preferential market access for some major exports and assistance from the international community, sources which are neither endogenous nor secure. Furthermore, those incomes have generally been unstable over time: natural and man-made disasters, difficulties in the international market for particular commodities and recession in some developed economies often reduce incomes in small island developing States dramatically, sometimes by as much as 20 to 30 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in a single year.

 

11. Because small island development options are limited, they present special challenges to planning for and implementing sustainable development. To meet that challenge, the most valuable asset of small island developing States is their human resources, which need to be given every opportunity to fulfil their potential and contribute meaningfully to national, regional and international development consistent with the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and Agenda 21. Small island developing States will be constrained in meeting those challenges without the cooperation and assistance of the international community. The sustainable development of small island developing States requires actions that address the above constraints to development. Those actions should integrate environmental considerations and natural resource conservation objectives and gender considerations consistent with the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and Agenda 21, into the development of social and economic development policies in international, regional, subregional and/or bilateral cooperative programmes related to islands.

 

12. Within small island developing States the critical contribution of women to sustainable development and the involvement of youth to the long-term success of Agenda 21 should be fully recognized. Accordingly, youth should be encouraged to contribute to the decision-making process and all obstacles to the equal participation of women in this process should be eliminated to allow both youth and women to participate in and benefit from the sustainable development of their particular societies.

 

13. Sharing a common aspiration for economic development and improved living standards, small island developing States are determined that the pursuit of material benefits should not undermine social, religious and cultural values or cause any permanent harm to either their people or their land and marine resources, which have sustained island life for many centuries. In Agenda 21, the international community committed itself to:

 

(a) Adopt and implement plans and programmes to support the sustainable development and utilization of the marine and coastal resources of small island developing States, including meeting essential human needs, maintaining biodiversity and improving the quality of life for island people;

 

(b) Adopt measures that will enable small island developing States to cope effectively, creatively and sustainably with environmental change, as well as to mitigate impacts on and reduce threats posed to marine and coastal resources.

 

Those commitments were later incorporated into General Assembly resolution 47/189 of 22 December 1992, which called for a global conference on the sustainable development of small island developing States.

 

14. In establishing the basis for a new global partnership for sustainable development, States have acknowledged their common but differentiated responsibilities in respect of global environmental degradation as stated in Principle 7 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. Principle 6 states that the special situation and needs of developing countries, particularly the least developed and those most environmentally vulnerable, shall be given special priority. Under chapter 17, section G of Agenda 21, small island developing States and islands supporting small communities are recognized as a special case for both environment and development, because they are ecologically fragile and vulnerable and their small size, limited resources, geographic dispersion and isolation from markets all place them at a disadvantage economically and prevent economies of scale.

 

15. It is in that context that the present Programme of Action addresses the special challenges and constraints facing small island developing States. Because sustainable development is a process and not a phenomenon, the Programme of Action focuses on the next steps that can be taken along the comprehensive path to sustainable development which will follow the principles endorsed by Governments at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. The Programme of Action contains a synopsis of actions and policies that should be implemented over the short, medium and long terms. The reports of the regional technical meetings, held in preparation for the Global Conference, remain an important point of reference since they contain a broad collection of recommended actions for the pursuit of sustainable development in small island developing States.

 

16. The Programme of Action presents a basis for action in 14 agreed priority areas and defines a number of actions and policies related to environmental and development planning that should be undertaken by small island developing States with the cooperation and assistance of the international community. In general, financing for the implementation of the Programme of Action will come from countries' own public and private sectors. National elements, for inclusion in the medium- and long-term sustainable development plans of small island developing States, are recommended, along with the measures necessary for enhancing their endogenous capacity. Regional approaches to sustainable development/environment problems and technical cooperation for endogenous capacity-building are proposed. And the role of the international community is outlined, including its role in providing access to adequate, predictable, new and additional financial resources; optimizing the use of existing resources and mechanisms in accordance with chapter 33 of Agenda 21; and adopting measures for supporting endogenous capacity-building, in particular for developing human resources and promoting the access of small island developing States to environmentally sound and energy-efficient technology for their sustainable development. In that context, non-governmental organizations and other major groups should be fully involved.

 

17. The Programme of Action identifies priority areas and indicates the specific actions that are necessary to address the special challenges faced by small island developing States. In fulfilling those actions, several cross- sectoral areas are identified, for example, capacity-building, including human resource development; institutional development at the national, regional and international levels; cooperation in the transfer of environmentally sound technologies; trade and economic diversification; and finance.

 

I. CLIMATE CHANGE AND SEALEVEL RISE

 

Basis for action

 

18. Small island developing States are particularly vulnerable to global climate change, climate variability and sealevel rise. As their population, agricultural land and infrastructure tend to be concentrated in the coastal zone, any rise in sealevel will have significant and profound effects on their economies and living conditions; the very survival of certain low-lying countries will be threatened. Inundation of outlying islands and loss of land above the high-tide mark may result in loss of exclusive economic rights over extensive areas and in the destruction of existing economic infrastructure as well as of existing human settlements. Global climate change may damage coral reefs, alter the distribution of zones of upwelling and affect both subsistence and commercial fisheries production. Furthermore, it may affect vegetation and saline intrusion may adversely affect freshwater resources. The increased frequency and intensity of the storm events that may result from climate change will also have profound effects on both the economies and the environments of small island developing States. Small island developing States require all available information concerning those aspects of climate change, as it may affect their ability to enable appropriate response strategies to be developed and implemented.

 

19. The process established by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 3/ and the ongoing negotiations of its Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee are important international actions aimed at addressing the threat of climate change, mitigating its adverse impacts on small island developing States and assisting them in adapting to its adverse consequences. It is becoming clear that the commitments contained in Article 4.2 (a) and (b) of the Framework Convention, in particular those related to emissions of greenhouse gases, should be considered inadequate for the long term and further action may be required to make satisfactory progress towards achieving the objective of the Framework Convention. In that regard, the consideration at the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the adequacy of those and all other relevant commitments under the Convention, in particular those aimed at achieving effective adaptive response measures, is of the utmost importance to small island developing States and the international community. The development and use of renewable sources of energy and the dissemination of sound and efficient energy technologies are seen as having a central role in mitigating the adverse impact of climate change.

 

A. National action, policies and measures

 

(i) Ensure early ratification of or accession to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer 4/ and other related legal instruments.

 

(ii) Monitor, survey and collect data on climate change and sealevel rise.

 

(iii) Formulate comprehensive adjustment and mitigation policies for sealevel rise in the context of integrated coastal area management.

 

(iv) Assess the effects and the socio-economic implications of the impact of climate change, climate variability and sealevel rise on small island developing States.

 

(v) Map areas vulnerable to sealevel rise and develop computer-based information systems covering the results of surveys, assessments and observations as part of the development of adequate response strategies, adaptation policies and measures to minimize the impact of climate change, climate variability and sealevel rise.

 

(vi) Improve public and political understanding of the potential impacts of climate change.

 

(vii) Formulate comprehensive strategies and measures (including the preparation, facilitation and collection of information) on adaptation to climate change that would contribute to a better understanding of the range of issues associated with the development of methodologies to facilitate adequate adaptation to climate change.

 

(viii) Promote a more efficient use of energy resources in development planning and use appropriate methods to minimize the adverse effects of climate change on the sustainable development of those resources.

 

(ix) Increase participation in the bilateral, regional and global research, assessment, monitoring and mapping of climate impacts, including the adoption of oceanographic and atmospheric measures and policies and the development of response strategies.

 

B. Regional action

 

(i) Create and/or strengthen programmes and projects to monitor and improve predictive capacity for climate change, climate variability and sealevel rise, and to assess the impacts of climate change on marine resources, freshwater and agricultural production, including pests.

 

(ii) Develop and/or strengthen mechanisms to facilitate the exchange of information and experiences among small island developing States, and to promote technology transfer and training in those States in response to climate change, including preparedness response.

 

(iii) Provide technical assistance for ratification or accession to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and assist those Parties that have ratified the Framework Convention in assuming their major responsibilities under it.

 

(iv) Support national efforts aimed at developing strategies and measures on adaptation to climate change as well as the development of technical guidelines and methodologies to facilitate adequate adaptation to climate change.

 

C. International action

 

(i) Implement immediately the prompt-start resolution agreed to by the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for a Framework Convention on Climate Change.

 

(ii) Support small island developing States in responding to the call by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for vulnerable coastal nations to develop integrated coastal zone management plans, including measures for responding adaptively to the impacts of climate change and sealevel rise.

 

(iii) Provide improved access to financial and technical resources for monitoring variability and change of climate and sealevel rise, for assessing the impacts of climate change, and for developing and implementing response adaptation strategies in a timely manner, recognizing the specific vulnerabilities and disproportionate cost borne by small island developing States.

 

(iv) Provide improved access to information from the activities carried out to reduce uncertainties of climate change and assist the inter-island exchange of this information.

 

(v) Provide access to environmentally sound and energy-efficient technology to assist small island developing States in conserving energy.

 

(vi) Support the activities of intergovernmental, regional and subregional organizations aimed at assisting small island developing States in coping effectively and creatively with climate change, climate variability and sealevel rise, including providing systems for systematic and continuous research, monitoring, surveying and data collection, as well as assessment, in the areas of climate change, climate variability and sealevel rise, coral reefs, the role of oceans in the world climate, tidal variations and the salt water intrusion of freshwater.

 

(vii) Provide improved access to financial and technical resources to assist small island developing States, which are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, in meeting the costs associated with the development of national and regional strategies, measures and methodologies to facilitate adequate adaptation to climate change.

 

II. NATURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTERS

 

Basis for action

 

20. Small island developing States are prone to extremely damaging natural disasters, primarily in the form of cyclones, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. In some islands, the range of these disasters includes storm surges, landslides, extended droughts and extensive floods. A recent study by the former Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief Coordinator (currently the Department of Humanitarian Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat) has shown that at least 13 of the 25 most disaster-prone countries are small island developing States. Due to climate change, such events, including drought, are perceived to be occurring with increasing frequency and intensity. Natural disasters are of special concern to small island developing States because of their small size; their dependence on agriculture and tourism which are particularly vulnerable to natural and environmental disasters; their narrow resource base; and the pervasive impact of such events on their people, environment and economies, including the loss of insurance coverage. For countries affected by such natural disasters, those particular characteristics mean that the economic, social and environmental consequences are long-lasting and that the costs of rehabilitation are high as a percentage of gross national product (GNP). For similar reasons the impact of oil-spills and other environmental disasters can also be severe.

 

A. National action, policies and measures

 

(i) Establish and/or strengthen disaster preparedness and management institutions and policies, including building codes and regulatory and enforcement systems, in order to mitigate, prepare for and respond to the increasing range and frequency of natural and environmental disasters and promote early warning systems and facilities for the rapid dissemination of information and warnings.

 

(ii) Strengthen the capacity of local broadcasting to assist remote rural and outer island communities within countries and among neighbouring countries during disaster events.

 

(iii) Establish a national disaster emergency fund with joint private and public sector support for areas where insurance is not available in the commercial market, taking into account the relevant experience to be gained from the operation of similar funds.

 

(iv) Integrate natural and environmental disaster policies into national development planning processes and encourage the development and implementation of public and private sector pre- and post-disaster recovery plans, drawing on the capacity of the United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs and bearing in mind the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction.

 

(v) Strengthen cultural and traditional systems that improve the resilience of local communities to disaster events.

 

B. Regional action

 

(i) Establish and/or strengthen, where appropriate, regional institutions to complement and support national efforts in disaster mitigation, preparedness and management.

 

(ii) Establish and/or strengthen, where appropriate, mechanisms for sharing experience, information and resources, including expertise, among small island developing States.

 

(iii) Increase access to telecommunication links and satellite facilities for disaster monitoring, assessment and information exchange.

 

(iv) Establish and/or strengthen existing regional mechanisms and communication systems for rapid response to disasters.

 

(v) Facilitate, as appropriate, the setting up of necessary regional committees for the International Decade, which could serve as a platform for the exchange of ideas, information and strategies for natural disaster reduction in each region.

 

(vi) Support the operation of a national disaster emergency fund, taking into account the relevant experience to be gained from the operation of similar funds, as well as the enactment of standardized building codes and relevant legislation.

 

C. International action

 

(i) Assist small island developing States in establishing and/or strengthening national and regional institutional mechanisms and policies designed to reduce the impacts of natural disasters, improve disaster preparedness and integrate natural disaster considerations in development planning, including through providing access to resources for disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.

 

(ii) Improve access to technology and relevant training to assist with hazard and risk assessment and early warning systems, and to assist with the protection of islands from environmental disasters consistent with national and regional strategies for disaster management.

 

(iii) Provide and facilitate technical support and training for disaster preparedness (including early warning) and relief programmes through the offices of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, the World Meteorological Organization, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Maritime Organization, the International Telecommunication Union and other relevant international organizations.

 

(iv) Encourage the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction and the World Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction, which will be held in May 1994, to give special recognition to small island developing States so that their unique characteristics will be taken into account in developing natural disaster reduction management programmes.

 

(v) Through the offices of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs, support and facilitate the collection, storage, exchange and dissemination of information useful for pre-disaster planning, as well as disaster preparedness (including early warning), response and recovery, and facilitate the exchange of cooperation between regions.

 

III. MANAGEMENT OF WASTES

 

Basis for action

 

21. The shortage of land areas and resources available for safe disposal, population growth and the increase in imports of polluting and hazardous substances combine to make pollution prevention and the management of wastes a critical issue for small island developing States. Wastes in those States tend to be highly visible, but due to their limited capacity to monitor the waste stream the true extent of the problem remains poorly understood. For small island developing States, the disposal of wastes is a serious constraint to sustainable development: both land and sea-based sources of pollution require urgent attention.

 

22. All small island developing States share the problem of how to safely dispose of solid and liquid wastes, particularly the wastes generated by urbanization, which otherwise result in the contamination of groundwater and lagoon areas. Point source pollution from industrial wastes and sewage, inappropriately sited and poorly managed garbage dumps and the disposal of toxic chemicals are significant contributors to marine pollution and coastal degradation. Limited land area makes the option of landfill disposal unsustainable in the long term. Incineration, while reducing the volume of wastes, is prohibitive in terms of cost and still requires the disposal of ash containing potentially hazardous substances in high concentrations. Pressure on forests to provide fuelwood and to expand agricultural development together with heavy use of agricultural chemicals also aggravate downstream pollution and sedimentation problems.

 

23. There is also growing concern about the transboundary movement of toxic and hazardous waste, including the use of small island developing States for the disposal of waste generated by other countries. The isolation and oceanic location of small island developing States and their dependence on a marine and limited terrestrial resource base make them highly vulnerable to contamination by toxic and hazardous wastes and chemicals, and radioactive materials. The passage of ships carrying toxic and hazardous wastes, chemicals and radioactive materials is of international concern and of priority concern to small island developing States. There is a need to develop and enhance the emergency response capacities necessary to protect marine and coastal environments from accidents and incidents relating to marine transport. Emergency response capabilities and any damage compensation arrangements must not impose an unreasonable burden on small island developing States.

 

24. Given that long-term disposal options are limited and will constrain sustainable development, small island developing States will need to look for ways of minimizing and/or converting wastes, such as sewage, into a resource (e.g., fertilizer for agriculture). This will include action ranging from limiting imports of non-biodegradable and hazardous substances to changing community attitudes to the disposal and use of sewage. In the short term, existing wastes require effective disposal, but at the same time incentives to continue waste generation should be avoided.

 

A. National action, policies and measures

 

(i) Develop fiscal and policy incentives and other measures to encourage environmentally sustainable imports and local products with low waste or degradable waste content.

 

(ii) Develop and implement appropriate regulatory measures, including emission discharge and pollution standards, for the reduction, prevention, control and monitoring of pollution from all sources; for the safe and efficient management of toxic, hazardous and solid wastes, including sewage, herbicides, pesticides and industrial and hospital effluent; and for the proper management of disposal sites.

 

(iii) Ratify and implement relevant conventions, including the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal 5/ and the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter (London Convention of 1972), 6/ as well as relevant regional conventions.

 

(iv) Formulate and implement public awareness and education campaigns designed to gain local recognition of the need to control wastes at the source; of the value of reuse, recycling and appropriate packaging; and of the possibilities for converting wastes to resources in culturally appropriate ways.

 

(v) Introduce clean technologies and treatment of waste at the source and appropriate technology for solid waste treatment.

 

(vi) Develop information systems and baseline data for waste management and pollution control, monitoring the types and quantities of wastes, for both sea- and land-based sources of pollution.

 

(vii) Establish port reception facilities for the collection of waste in accordance with annex V of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL 73/78). 7/

 

(viii) In conformity with the Basel Convention and relevant decisions taken by the parties to that Convention, formulate and enforce national laws and/or regulations that ban the importation from States that are members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) of hazardous wastes and other wastes subject to the Basel Convention, including hazardous wastes and other wastes destined for recycling and recovery operations.

 

B. Regional action

 

(i) Develop regional pollution prevention programmes, including regional centres for pollution prevention that would conduct demonstration projects, workshops and multimedia presentations tailored to specific groups; the development of economic incentives to further pollution prevention and waste management; relevant legislation; a coordinated and focused monitoring programme; and, where appropriate, the development of waste management and prevention trust funds.

 

(ii) Remove and dispose of existing hazardous wastes, such as polychlorinated biphenyls, with the technical assistance of developed countries.

 

(iii) Establish clearing-houses and increase the collection and synthesis of data and information on the sources, levels, amounts, kinds, trends and effects of pollution and waste on marine and coastal systems, as well as on processes and technologies for addressing pollution control from land and sea-based sources.

 

(iv) Establish regional mechanisms, including conventions where appropriate, to protect the oceans, seas and coastal areas from ship-generated wastes, oil spills and the transboundary movement of toxic and hazardous waste, consistent with international law.

 

(v) Examine ways to resolve disputes concerning waste disposal practices affecting small islands and encourage a collaborative examination of the issues of liability and redress in the context of the Basel Convention.

 

(vi) Facilitate the formulation and implementation of public awareness and education campaigns designed to gain local recognition of the need to control wastes at the source; the value of reuse, recycling and appropriate packaging; and of the possibilities for converting wastes to resources in culturally appropriate ways.

 

(vii) Establish, where appropriate, regional centres for the training and transfer to cleaner production technologies and the management of hazardous wastes generated at the national level.

 

C. International action

 

(i) Support the strengthening of national and regional capabilities to carry out pollution monitoring and research and to formulate and apply pollution control and abatement measures.

 

(ii) Support the strengthening of institutions to provide assistance to Governments and industry in the adoption of clean production technologies as well as in the prevention of pollution and the handling, treatment and disposal of hazardous wastes.

 

(iii) Accept the right of small island developing States to regulate, restrict and/or ban the importation of products containing non-biodegradable and/or hazardous substances and to prohibit the transboundary movement of hazardous and radioactive wastes and materials within their jurisdiction, consistent with international law.

 

(iv) Ensure that the international conventions and arrangements and related negotiations on marine pollution, in particular any amendments to the London Convention of 1972 but also in relation to land-based sources of marine pollution, take into account the interests and capacities of small island developing States.

 

(v) Support measures to assist small island developing States in improving their capacity for the negotiation, follow-up and implementation of international conventions or arrangements, as well as for related negotiations on marine pollution, in particular any amendments to the London Convention of 1972 but also in relation to land-based sources of marine pollution.

 

(vi) Assist in the implementation of monitoring and pollution prevention programmes and the establishment of port reception facilities for the collection of wastes in accordance with annex 5 of MARPOL 73/78.

 

(vii) Enhance international cooperation in the establishment of waste management facilities, the control of toxic chemicals and pollution prevention as components of international investment projects, whether funded by multilateral or private sources.

 

(viii) Assist small island developing States in assessing the impact of land-based sources of marine pollution and to develop mechanisms to eliminate or minimize the pollution source.

 

(ix) Improve the access to resources of national and regional efforts to formulate and implement public awareness and education campaigns that are designed to gain local recognition of the need to control wastes at the source; the value of reuse, recycling and appropriate packaging; and of the possibilities for converting wastes to resources in culturally appropriate ways.

 

(x) Ensure that the Basel Convention group of experts developing guidelines for monitoring the effects of the management of hazardous wastes on human health and the environment takes into account the concerns of small island developing States.

 

(xi) Provide improved access to financial and technical resources to assist small island developing States in establishing regional centres for the training and transfer of cleaner production technologies and the management of hazardous wastes, and in developing inventories to register the training and technical activities of international organizations related to waste management and cleaner production.

 

IV. COASTAL AND MARINE RESOURCES

 

Basis for action

 

25. Sustainable development in small island developing States depends largely on coastal and marine resources, because their small land area means that those States are effectively coastal entities. Population and economic development - both subsistence and cash - are concentrated in the coastal zone. The establishment of the 200-mile exclusive economic zone has vastly extended the fisheries and other marine resources available to small island developing States. Their heavy dependence on coastal and marine resources emphasizes the need for appropriate and effective management.

 

26. The development and management of programmes designed to achieve the ecologically and economically sustainable utilization of coastal and marine resources are major challenges for small island developing States. The lack of an integrated approach to coastal and marine area management has limited the effectiveness of past and present management measures which is increasingly resulting in coastal habitats being degraded through pollution, natural resources being overexploited and growing conflicts between competing resource uses. Development patterns have also had an adverse impact on traditional management systems, an impact in many cases exacerbated by the effects of natural hazards and extreme events, such as hurricanes/cyclones/typhoons, storm surges and abnormally high tides.

 

A. National action, policies and measures

 

(i) Establish and/or strengthen, where appropriate, institutional, administrative and legislative arrangements for developing and implementing integrated coastal zone management plans and strategies for coastal watersheds and exclusive economic zones, including integrating them within national development plans.

 

(ii) Design comprehensive monitoring programmes for coastal and marine resources, including wetlands, in order to determine shoreline and ecosystem stability, and also document and apply, as a basis for integrated coastal zone planning and decision-making, traditional knowledge and management practices that are ecologically sound and include the participation of local communities.

 

(iii) Develop and/or strengthen national capabilities for the sustainable harvesting and processing of fishery resources and provide training and awareness programmes for the managers (Government and local communities) of coastal and marine resources.

 

(iv) Ratify and/or adhere to regional and international conventions concerning the protection of coastal and marine resources and combat unsustainable fishing and related practices.

 

B. Regional action

 

(i) Develop and/or strengthen the capacity of regional organizations to undertake activities in coastal and marine areas, including research into commercial and non-commercial fisheries with a view to sustainable harvesting and utilization, as well as surveys on reef, estuary, wetland and lagoon resources. Also monitor and promote innovative ways to sustainably develop territorial waters and exclusive economic zones, including providing support for aquaculture, mariculture, coral reef and mangrove programmes.

 

(ii) Develop a methodology for integrated coastal zone management appropriate to small island developing States, particularly very small, low elevation and coral islands.

 

(iii) Develop and/or strengthen regional clearing-houses for coastal and marine environmental information to facilitate the collection, synthesis and sharing of relevant information, knowledge and experience among small island developing States in a structured and systematic way.

 

(iv) Develop programmes to enhance negotiating and related skills for the management and exploitation of coastal and marine resources, including the negotiation of fisheries agreements.

 

(v) Develop and/or strengthen regional capabilities for the effective surveillance and monitoring of activities in the exclusive economic zones of small island developing States.

 

(vi) Harmonize policies and strategies for the coordination of the sustainable management and utilization of coastal and marine resources.

 

C. International action

 

(i) Develop mechanisms for the gathering and sharing of information and expertise, particularly interregionally among small island developing States, including geographic information systems (GIS) techniques and facilities for the assessment of coastal and marine resources, including the regional nodes of the UNEP Global Resource Information Database.

 

(ii) Cooperate in facilitating mutually advantageous fishing agreements between small island developing States and foreign fishing groups; take account of the concerns and characteristics of those States within the United Nations Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks; and encourage and facilitate the full participation of small island developing States in the Conference and in the implementation of the Conference outcomes.

 

(iii) Assist with the establishment and/or strengthening, where necessary, of new institutional and administrative arrangements for the development of integrated coastal zone management plans and their implementation.

 

(iv) Support small island developing States in establishing national and regional capabilities for the effective surveillance and monitoring of activities within their exclusive economic zones, setting up regional and other joint-venture fishing enterprises, developing inventories of marine resources and regional approaches to the sustainable management of their exclusive economic zones, and strengthening regional marine research centres.

 

(v) Use the relevant results of the World Coast Conference 1993, held at Noordwijk, the Netherlands, from 1 to 5 November 1993 as well as the ongoing work within the UNEP Regional Seas Programme to assist small island developing States with the development and implementation of integrated coastal zone management plans, to improve international coordination in that field and to develop strategies to prevent further marine and coastal degradation.

 

(vi) Monitor the results of the Meeting of Government-designated Experts Focusing on the 1985 Montreal Guidelines for the Protection of the Marine Environment Against Pollution from Land-Based Sources, to be held in Montreal from 6 to 10 June 1994, which are expected to be useful for assisting small island developing States in that area.

 

(vii) Include, in means of building capacity for integrated coastal zone management planning and implementation, strengthening regional and international networks, including South-South relationships; increasing public awareness and participation; enhancing relevant education and increasing training activities; ensuring the involvement and participation of non-governmental organizations and other major groups; supporting the development of concepts, methodologies and tools; and supporting and strengthening international research and improvements in monitoring, the results of which should be integrated into policy development, planning and decision-making.

 

V. FRESHWATER RESOURCES

 

Basis for action

 

27. Freshwater resources are vital for meeting basic needs and the inadequate protection of the quality and supply of freshwater resources can set important limits to sustainable development. Many health hazards in developing countries are related to poor water quality and limited water quantity. Because of their small size and particular geological, topographical and climatic conditions, many small island developing States face severe constraints in terms of both the quality and quantity of freshwater. This is particularly the case for low-lying coral-based islands, where groundwater supplies are limited and are protected only by a thin permeable soil. Even where rainfall is abundant, access to clean water has been restricted by the lack of adequate storage facilities and effective delivery systems.

 

28. Inadequate action to safeguard watershed areas and groundwater resources poses a further long-term threat, while in urban areas rapid population growth, changes in economic strategies and a growing per capita use of freshwater are significant challenges. In that context, sound long-term management strategies for water catchment and storage areas, including the treatment and distribution of limited water supplies, are of particular economic and environmental importance. Such strategies may involve substantial capital investment and ongoing maintenance programmes, which may affect the real cost of water. A common threat to the freshwater resources of small island developing States is the contamination of supply by human and livestock waste, industry-related pollution and, in some cases, pesticides and other agricultural chemicals. All strategies need to take account of the possible constraints to water supply from low groundwater recharge in times of drought, salt-water intrusion, and inundation as a result of climate change and sealevel rise. Such intrusions are made even more likely as a result of over-abstraction, particularly during times of extended drought. In that regard, due consideration must be paid to the primacy of the need to supply water for sanitation purposes.

 

29. The Political Statement and Action Programme, adopted at the International Ministerial Conference on Drinking Water and Environmental Sanitation, held in the Netherlands in 1994 (E/CN.17/1994/12, annex), could serve as one of the important bases for small island developing States in implementing relevant portions of chapter 18, programme area D, of Agenda 21.

 

A. National action, policies and measures

 

(i) Develop, maintain and protect watershed areas, irrigation systems, distribution networks and appropriate catchment systems and promote effective programmes for water conservation and prevention of water contamination through, inter alia, the development of integrated national water plans, the use of appropriate incentives and regulatory measures, community involvement in management and conservation, forest management and reforestation and investment strategies.

 

(ii) Adopt appropriate standards for the management of freshwater resources, and develop and strengthen low-cost monitoring and assessment capabilities, linked to water resource databases, for relevant decision-making tools, including forecasting models for water management, planning and utilization.

 

(iii) Strengthen procedures to monitor and respond to the impacts on water resources of natural and environmental hazards, in particular the impacts of climate change and climate variability, including drought and sealevel rise.

 

(iv) Encourage the development and acquisition of appropriate technology and training for cost-effective sewage disposal, desalination and rainwater collection to provide sufficiently high quality potable freshwater, including opportunities for technology interchange among small island developing States.

 

(v) Strengthen national capacities to make decisions among competing demands for the allocation of limited water resources.

 

B. Regional action

 

(i) Develop and strengthen initiatives for regional cooperation in training and research to assist Governments in the development and implementation of integrated water resource plans, including the conservation and rehabilitation of watersheds, the protection of groundwater, setting standards for the management of those resources, fostering public awareness and water quality monitoring.

 

(ii) Provide technical assistance for the assessment and/or development and transfer of appropriate technology for water collection, distribution and protection, in particular sewage disposal technology.

 

C. International action

 

(i) Improve access to environmentally sound and energy efficient technologies for the catchment, production, conservation and delivery of freshwater, including rainwater catchment, water treatment systems and desalination, and also foster the exchange of information on water treatment methods.

 

(ii) Enhance the capacity of small island developing States to develop and implement integrated water resource plans, including water resource allocation and management, the conservation and rehabilitation of watersheds, the protection of groundwater, fostering public awareness and water quality monitoring.

 

(iii) Assist training and public awareness campaigns in building up an endogenous capacity relating to water management and conservation, and appropriate rainwater catchment systems.

 

(iv) Support the establishment of methodologies aimed at assessing the adverse impact of climate change on freshwater resources and develop appropriate response and mitigation measures.

 

VI. LAND RESOURCES

 

Basis for action

 

30. The small size of most small island developing States, coupled with land tenure systems, soil types, relief and climatic variation, limit the area available for urban settlement, agriculture, mining, commercial forestry, tourism and other infrastructure, and create intense competition between land use options. Most aspects of environmental management in small island developing States are directly dependent on, or influenced by, the planning and utilization of land resources, which in turn are intimately linked to coastal zone management and protection in those States.

 

31. For human requirements to be met in a sustainable manner, competing demands for the use of land resources must be resolved and more effective and efficient ways of using those natural resources must be developed and adopted. As populations grow in small island developing States, there is a need for resolution of competing demands, particularly where land is limited and where commercial development of comparatively large tracts of land can result in shifts in small scale and subsistence agriculture to marginal lands.

 

32. The major long-term land management issue in small island developing States is the degradation of the limited land area due to a variety of factors, including overuse because of high population pressure on a limited resource base; deforestation due to unsustainable commercial logging or permanent conversion to agricultural or grazing pursuits; and other episodic events, such as fire. Natural events, such as catastrophic cyclones, are also major contributors. Land degradation of that kind results in accelerated erosion and a resultant decline in fertility and productivity, a deterioration in water quality and the siltation of rivers, lagoons and reefs. Deforestation is also linked to a decline in the continuity and quality of village water supply, the depletion of genetic, wood and non-wood plant resources, and the fading away of traditional forest, lagoon and reef-based subsistence life systems.

 

33. The search for an improved quality of life, with its increased demands for cash income, has led to greater production of export cash crops, increasing areas of cultivation and resulting in more mechanized production systems. In the past, unsustainable agricultural practices in those areas have contributed to deforestation, the loss of multiple purpose trees from the rural landscape and the agrochemical pollution of soils, freshwater and coastal resources. There is, however, much that can be learned from traditional systems of food production and the use of plants to promote sustainable agriculture and land management.

 

34. The conclusions and recommendations of the Interregional Conference of Small Island Countries on Sustainable Development and Environment in Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, held in Barbados from 7 to 10 April 1992, 8/ contain the consensus position of small islands in the agricultural sector. The Bridgetown Declaration 9/ emanating from that ministerial Conference affirmed the determination and commitment of those countries to pursue sustainable development policies that ensure the long-term viability of their agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors.

 

A. National action, policies and measures

 

(i) Develop and improve national databases and the dissemination of information to relevant groups, especially local communities, youth and women, for land-use planning and management, including estimates of the carrying capacity, economic and environmental value of land resources, along with appropriate decision-making tools, such as land/geographic information systems.

 

(ii) Prepare and/or review land-use plans in conjunction with agricultural, forestry, mining, tourism, traditional land-use practices and other land-use policies, with a view to formulating comprehensive land-use plans and zoning so as to protect land resources, ensure sustainable and productive land-use and guard against land degradation, pollution and exceeding island carrying capacity.

 

(iii) Encourage appropriate forms of land tenure, improved land administration and a greater appreciation of the integrated nature of land development in order to facilitate sustainable land-use.

 

(iv) Formulate and enforce laws, regulations, and economic pricing and incentives in order to encourage the sustainable and integrated use, management and conservation of the land and its natural resources.

 

(v) Support appropriate afforestation and reforestation programmes, with appropriate emphasis on natural regeneration and the participation of land owners, in order to ensure watershed and coastal protection and reduce land degradation.

 

(vi) Improve the availability, affordability and environmental quality of shelter in human settlements, in accordance with chapter 7 of Agenda 21.

 

(vii) Increase attention to national physical planning in both urban and rural environments, focusing on training to strengthen physical planning offices, including the use of environmental impact assessments and other decision-making tools.

 

B. Regional action

 

(i) Provide appropriate training and other capacity-building opportunities for small island developing States, including systems for providing a continuous surveillance of the rate and extent of land-use changes and monitoring adverse environmental effects, in order to facilitate the implementation of national actions.

 

(ii) Collect, synthesize and share among small island developing States, in a structured and systematic way, relevant information, knowledge and experience on sustainable land-use practices and policies, including issues pertaining to environmental, agricultural, forestry, mining and other land-based sectors, market intelligence information, and the assessment of potential interested overseas investors.

 

C. International action

 

(i) Support the improved availability of shelter and the improved economic and environmental quality of human settlements for small island developing States in accordance with chapter 7 of Agenda 21.

 

(ii) Facilitate the development and improvement of national databases and the dissemination of information to relevant groups, especially local communities, youth and women, for land-use planning and management, including estimates of the carrying capacity, economic and environmental value of land resources, along with appropriate decision-making tools such as land/geographic information systems.

 

(iii) Facilitate more effective international and interregional cooperation, coordination, collaboration and technical exchanges in the fields of agriculture, forestry and other land-use, through international and interregional networks and training programmes.

 

VII. ENERGY RESOURCES

 

Basis for action

 

35. Small island developing States are currently heavily dependent on imported petroleum products, largely for transport and electricity generation, energy often accounting for more than 12 per cent of imports. They are also heavily dependent on indigenous biomass fuels for cooking and crop drying.

 

36. Small island developing States will continue to be heavily dependent on petroleum fuels and biomass both in the short and medium term. However, the current uses of those fuels tend to be highly inefficient. Increased efficiency through appropriate technology and national energy policies and management measures will reap both financial and environmental benefits for small island developing States.

 

37. The renewable energy resources endowments of small island developing States vary greatly. All have substantial solar resources, which have still not been developed to their full potential. Wind potential is highly variable with location, both within and between countries. Hydroelectric power is a possibility only for some islands. Biomass endowment is common but unequal. Studies of the potential for geothermal, ocean thermal energy conversion and wave energy are continuing.

 

38. Several constraints to the large-scale commercial use of renewable energy resources remain, including technology development, investment costs, available indigenous skills and management capabilities. Small-scale application for rural electrification has been sporadic. The use of renewable energy resources as substantial commercial fuels by small island developing States is dependent on the development and commercial production of appropriate technologies.

 

A. National action, policies and measures

 

(i) Implement appropriate public education and awareness programmes, including consumer incentives to promote energy conservation.

 

(ii) Promote the efficient use of energy and the development of environmentally sound sources of energy and energy-efficient technologies, paying special attention to the possibilities of using, where appropriate, economic instruments and incentive structures and the increasing economic possibilities of renewable sources of energy.

 

(iii) Establish and/or strengthen, where appropriate, research capabilities in the development and promotion of new and renewable sources of energy, including wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, wave and biomass energy, and ocean thermal energy conversion.

 

(iv) Strengthen research capabilities and develop technologies to encourage the efficient utilization of non-renewable sources of energy.

 

B. Regional action

 

(i) Establish or strengthen research and policy capabilities in the development of new and renewable sources of energy, including wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, wave and biomass energy.

 

(ii) Assist, where appropriate, in the formulation of energy policies, standards and guidelines for the energy sector that are applicable to small island developing States, and enhance national capacity to effectively plan, manage and monitor their energy sectors.

 

(iii) Gather and disseminate information, and promote regional cooperation and technical exchanges among small island developing States on energy-sector issues, including new and renewable sources of energy.

 

C. International action

 

(i) Support the research, development and utilization of renewable sources of energy and related technologies and improve the efficiency of existing technologies and end-use equipment based on conventional energy sources.

 

(ii) Formulate and ratify international agreements on energy-sector issues in relation to sustainable development in such areas as carbon emissions and the transportation of petroleum (for example, the use of double-hulled tankers).

 

(iii) Develop effective mechanisms for the transfer of energy technology and establish databases to disseminate information on experience in the use of new and renewable sources of energy as well as on the efficient use of non-renewable energy sources.

 

(iv) Encourage international institutions and agencies, including public international financial institutions, to incorporate environmental efficiency and conservation principles into energy-sector-related projects, training and technical assistance, and, where appropriate, to provide concessionary financing facilities for energy-sector reforms.

 

(v) Develop effective and efficient ways of utilizing, disposing of, recycling and reducing the by-products and waste of energy production.

 

VIII. TOURISM RESOURCES

 

Basis for action

 

39. Tourism has contributed much to the development of small island developing States and, as one of only a few development options for those small States, will continue to be very important for their future growth. It could also stimulate the development of other sectors. However, if not properly planned and managed, tourism could significantly degrade the environment on which it is so dependent. The fragility and interdependence of coastal zones and the unspoilt areas on which eco-tourism depends calls for careful management. One of the special tourist attractions of small island developing States is the distinctiveness of their cultures. The diversity and fragility of their environments are reflected in the diversity and fragility of their cultures. The protection of the former is an important condition for the protection of the latter.

 

40. Capital investment in tourism, particularly for the necessary infrastructure, is costly. There is usually great competition for land resources among tourism, agriculture and other land uses. Large increases in tourism and the overdevelopment of tourism in particular areas or in whole islands could be environmentally and culturally disruptive and detrimental to other valuable sectors, such as agriculture. It is imperative, therefore, that the development of tourism be carefully planned, particularly in relation to compatible land uses, water management, coastal zone management and the development of parks and protected areas. Tourism, like all forms of development in the coastal zone, needs to be carefully integrated within the existing cultural and environmental constraints and opportunities present within small island developing States. Eco-tourism, linking areas of high ecological value to low-impact tourism, may present important and environmentally sustainable opportunities for tourism development in small island developing States.

 

A. National action, policies and measures

 

(i) Ensure that tourism development and environmental management are mutually supportive.

 

(ii) Adopt integrated planning and policies to ensure sustainable tourism development, with particular attention to land-use planning and coastal zone management, requiring environmental impact assessments for all tourism projects; the continuous monitoring of the environmental impact of all tourism activities; and the development of guidelines and standards for design and construction taking into account energy and water consumption, the generation and disposal of wastes and land degradation, the proper management and protection of eco-tourism attractions, and the carrying capacity of areas for tourism.

 

(iii) Identify and develop facilities to meet specific niche markets, particularly in eco-tourism, nature and cultural tourism, and involve local populations in the identification and management of natural protected areas set aside for eco-tourism.

 

(iv) Adopt measures to protect the cultural integrity of small island developing States.

 

B. Regional action

 

(i) Ensure that tourism and the environment are mutually supportive in cooperation schemes at the regional level including, where appropriate, through harmonizing standards and regulations.

 

(ii) Encourage the assessment and development of potential complementarities among small island developing States, including the development of packaged options covering several islands and joint marketing and training programmes.

 

(iii) Establish or strengthen regional mechanisms for the exchange of information on the development of a safe and sustainable tourism sector, using, as appropriate, the capacities of regional tourism organizations.

 

C. International action

 

(i) Promote the recognition by the international community of both the value of tourism in small island developing States and the fragility of the resources on which it depends, and of the resulting need for international support to encourage its sustainable development.

 

(ii) Facilitate efforts, at the national and regional levels, to assess the overall impact of the economic, social and ecological aspects of tourism, plan sustainable tourism and to develop eco- and cultural tourism.

 

IX. BIODIVERSITY RESOURCES

 

Basis for action

 

41. Small island developing States are renowned for their species diversity and endemism. However, due to the small size, isolation and fragility of island ecosystems, their biological diversity is among the most threatened in the world. Deforestation, coral reef deterioration, habitat degradation and loss, and the introduction of certain non-indigenous species are the most significant causes of the loss of biodiversity in small island developing States.

 

42. In the past, there has been a strong emphasis on the collection of more information. In small island developing States where limited and biologically precious resources are being threatened, while the lack of sufficient information is often cited as a rationale for inaction, there is often enough information to identify areas requiring in situ conservation. Although more information will be required in order to develop appropriate management plans, information collection should no longer be a prior condition for in situ conservation projects.

 

43. The nature of traditional, often communal land and marine resource ownership in many island countries requires community support for the conservation effort. Without that local support and commitment and the opportunity to integrate sustainable income generation into the conservation effort, even the most highly studied and well planned conservation area will not be sustainable.

 

44. Some of the most precious biological resources for islanders, environmentally, economically and culturally, are marine and coastal rather than terrestrial. This requires a conservation focus that takes into account customary land and reef tenure systems and practices, which may differ from that usually found in the larger developed countries. Other considerations include the adequacy of basic institutional support for conservation efforts (staff, vehicles etc.) and access to financial resources to help start innovative projects.

 

45. A number of international and regional conventions exist concerning the conservation and sustainable utilization of biological resources, which are expected to provide a sound legal framework of potential benefit to the sustainable development of small island developing States.

 

A. National action, policies and measures

 

(i) Formulate and implement integrated strategies for the conservation and sustainable use of terrestrial and marine biodiversity, in particular endemic species, including protection from the introduction of certain non-indigenous species and the identification of sites of high biological significance for the conservation of biological diversity and/or for eco-tourism and other sustainable development opportunities, such as sustainable agriculture, training and research.

 

(ii) Ratify and implement the Convention on Biological Diversity, 10/ the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora 11/ and other relevant international and regional conventions.

 

(iii) Promote community support for the conservation of biological diversity and the designation of protected areas by concen