ACP Small Island Economies: from Vulnerabilites to Opportunities

The United Nations currently classifies 52 countries and territories as Small Island Developing States (SIDS). It is a diverse group with more than 50 million people, 43 of them located in the Caribbean and the Pacific regions. The 27th Brussels Development Briefing, which was co-organised by the Technical Centre for Agriculture and Rural Cooperation (CTA) was held on 4 April 2012 in Brussels and focused on ACP Small Island Economies.
Although small island nations across the African, Caribbean and Pacific regions have significant differences in terms of size, population, social and economic conditions, infrastructure, standard of living, there are many disadvantages that derive from small size such as a narrow range of resources, excessive dependence on international trade, high transport and communication costs, high population density. Due to their small size, isolation and fragility of island ecosystems, their renowned biological diversity is among the most threatened in the world. Natural disasters are of special concern to small islands because of their dependence on agriculture and tourism which are particularly vulnerable to natural and environmental disasters. As demonstrated by research, all SIDS are more vulnerable to economic shocks and natural hazards than other countries or regions.

Source: Afronline