The Island Advantage: Strategies for Resilient Urbanization in Small Island Developing States
With fragile ecological profiles, low elevations, sea levels that are expected to rise, and extreme weather events that are likely to increase in frequency and intensity, Small Island Developing States (SIDS) face unique challenges and vulnerabilities, and their cities require specialized planning. Across Pacific Island Countries, urban populations are expected to double between 2012 and 2035. Urbanization is an important driving force of development gains, however, policy discourse within the region has yet to fully address resilient, inclusive, and livable urban development. Rapid, unplanned development in hazard-prone areas, fueled by internal migration and natural population growth, disproportionately affects poor and disadvantaged populations. Given the compounding issues of climate change, extreme weather events, and socio-economic challenges, a multi-dimensional approach to urbanization is crucial. Atoll countries, including the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Maldives, and Kiribati, are especially vulnerable, as these low-lying countries face significant climate and disaster threats and pressures on scarce land and require specialized planning and significant action. The vulnerability of the islands’ people, infrastructure, and livelihoods is a critical challenge as these countries report higher rates of urbanization and internal migration to their capital cities compared to other SIDS. Led by officials from select atoll nations and development partners funding urban resilience investments in these cities, the session will discuss how SIDS have undertaken resilience planning and increased the understanding of disaster and climate risks, adaptation options, and risk-informed development pathways. The session will detail how atoll nations in particular are re-thinking their approach to sustainable development and how urbanization will evolve. The session will highlight key findings from JICA’s upcoming operation in Kiribati and the World Bank’s upcoming study The Island Advantage: Strategies for Resilient Urbanization in the Pacific. The session is co-led by the World Bank and JICA.
Organized by: GFDRR/World Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
