Small Island Developing States

This 2025 Lancet Countdown report finds rising heat, drought and climate-related health risks are threatening SIDS, while adaptation and climate finance efforts remain insufficient.

Despite the challenges it faces and the limited resources at its disposal, the Government of the Union of the Comoros is working to protect hard-earned development gains and chart a course to a low-carbon, climate-resilient future.

Climate-related disasters significantly hinder medium-term economic growth in Small Island Developing States, exposing structural vulnerabilities and the need for greater economic diversification and resilience.

The World Bank has developed an approach called the Transport Infrastructure Lifecycle Framework to support SIDS enhance the resilience of their road, maritime, and aviation sectors.

UNESCO, the African Union of Broadcasting (AUB), and UNDRR joined forces to support media organizations in four African SIDS - Cabo Verde, Comoros, Mauritius, and São Tomé and Príncipe.

Low-lying atoll islands are among the most vulnerable places on Earth due to rising sea levels and, when they flood, it is disruptive and potentially hazardous.

Headlines have been filled with talk of the catastrophic power of Hurricane Melissa after the Category 5 storm devastated communities across Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti in October 2025.

Increasingly frequent climate disasters wipe out years of progress in small island developing states, forcing them into increasingly costly borrowing to fund their recovery.

Hurricane Melissa shows what academics studying disasters have long emphasised: disasters are shaped as much by social vulnerability and governance as they are by violent winds.

Nurses and midwives are crucial frontline responders, leading disaster preparedness, emergency care, and community recovery. This paper highlights their leadership, resilience, and innovation in addressing the health impacts of climate-related disasters.

As predicted and feared, Hurricane Melissa has become a formidable hurricane in the central Caribbean that is positioned to wreak havoc over Jamaica.

Early warning systems and robust climate information and monitoring are crucial to protecting human and physical capital in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) from the damage wrought by extreme weather events.

This report presents innovative solutions and policy recommendations aimed at building resilience in Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

This study highlights the potential value of incorporating interaction terms in prediction models to account for the compound and cascading effects of climate on disease risk, which could enhance model explainability and predictive performance.

By 2080 rising sea levels could cause seasonal waves to reach Ahu Tongariki, the iconic ceremonial platform that is part of the Rapa Nui National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site.

A four-year regional project has strengthened the Pacific’s ability to anticipate, respond to, and recover from weather- and climate-related hazards.

Australia's new Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) lottery allows Pacific Islanders, whose coastal homes are sinking under rising seas because of climate change, to apply to become permanent residents each year.

The paper analyzes infrastructure resilience in Small Island Developing States using the Global Infrastructure Risk Model and Resilience Index (GIRI).

In a region prone to natural hazards, community and public broadcasters serve as lifelines. They deliver early warnings, real-time updates, and critical preparedness information, often to remote communities with limited internet access.

Plastic pollution is a global crisis that transcends borders and bodies of water. A simple bottle or wrapper transforms into a silent contributor to environmental degradation and potential health risks for human populations, even on distant shores.

Recognising the existential threats of climate change impacts to its economy and society, Fiji has been proactively exploring holistic pathways to addressing this global crisis, most notably by establishing robust regulatory and legal frameworks

Tailored support is on the way for the Small Island Developing State as Vanuatu becomes the first country matched with technical assistance through the network.

Coastal engineers say places like the Netherlands have long used engineering to hold back the sea from low-lying land—and that the Pacific could do the same. But researchers say seawalls are usually a costly, short-term fix in a region with limited money.

Atoll islands with healthy ecosystems are less likely to disappear as oceans rise, research shows. Now, scientists are using nature-based solutions — like restoring coral reefs and native forests — to improve the odds for more vulnerable islands.

A new highlights the potential of nature-based solutions, coastal protection measures, and island-specific adaptation plans to address the Maldives'

In a bid to promote sustainable environmental stewardship and climate resilience, a pioneering five-year project titled “Mainstreaming Nature-Based Solutions in Land-Use Systems for Productive and Resilient Ecosystems.” was launched today.

Papua New Guinea's (PNG) most vulnerable communities will soon benefit from strengthened disaster preparedness with the launch of a new initiative to predict and respond to natural disasters.

In the face of mounting disaster risks and with the memory of Hurricane Irma still vivid, Sint Maarten has taken a decision to build a comprehensive approach to disaster risk finance to bolster the island's financial preparedness to natural disasters.

Coastal models enhance understanding of future flooding frequency on atoll islands, paving the way to explore the limits of adaptation in the face of rising sea levels and climate change.

Innovative solutions are needed to allow small island nations to manage debt and build climate resilience as global funding declines.

A Ha’apai resident speaks of her experience during the volcanic eruption in 2022 in Tonga, and what some of the signs were prior to the event. A Tongan resident also shares how they felt well prepared before a recent strong earthquake in the country.

Tonga Broadcasting Commission explains how Tongan communities, still dealing with the psychological scars of the 2022 volcanic eruption and tsunami, have responded to recent earthquake activity in the country.

The study notes that despite differences between individual SIDS and across regions, SIDS as a group face some of the highest debt burdens of all groups of developing countries.

Reliving the memories of tropical cyclone Winston in Fiji from 2016 and how that natural disaster changed the way people think about preparedness.

ADB’s Triple A initiative empowers atoll nations to tackle climate change and secure a resilient future through transformational adaptation strategies.

The 15th International Conference of the International Society for Integrated Disaster Risk Management will be held in Samos, Greece, on September 28 – October 1, 2025. It will address disaster risk reduction and management in islands and remote areas.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved an unprecedented US$103.2 million in grant financing to scale up life-saving early warning systems in seven of the world's most climate-vulnerable countries.

Are you a young leader passionate about climate mobility? Apply now for the Climate Mobility Fellowship (CMF) 2025-2026 and gain the tools, networks, and expertise to drive impactful solutions in the field of climate mobility!

UNDRR, in its role as co-chair of the IBC alongside UNEP, has undertaken a meticulous mapping exercise, identifying 132 initiatives and actions led by 11 UN agencies.

Agri-food systems in SIDS are failing to provide nutritious, diverse and affordable diets, while also harming fragile island ecosystems through deforestation and pollution. These systems receive little attention in global climate negotiations.

The geomorphology of a protected atoll likely contributed to Aldabra's ability to maintain its shoreline over a turbulent half-century.