Small Island Developing States
Also called: SIDS · Topic: Climate Change: Causes, Evidence and the Global Response · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are a group of small island countries recognised by the United Nations. They share common problems: small populations, small markets, few resources and long distances from big trading centres. Many are coral atolls that sit only a little above the sea, but some are high volcanic islands. All of them are highly exposed to climate change. Sea-level rise, stronger cyclones and coral bleaching threaten their land, water and incomes. They emitted very little of the world's greenhouse gases, so they push hard for climate finance (money to help poorer countries cut emissions and adapt) and for loss and damage support. They also push for keeping warming to 1.5 °C. India helps SIDS through programmes such as IRIS (Infrastructure for Resilient Island States) under CDRI. The International Solar Alliance also pools their solar and storage orders, starting with Mauritius.
Example
The Maldives is a chain of low coral atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-west of India and Sri Lanka. Tuvalu and Kiribati in the Pacific Ocean face the same danger. Global sea level has risen about 20 cm since 1901, and IPCC AR6 projects a further 0.6–1.0 m by 2100 under very high emissions. A rise like that could flood large parts of these countries.
Don't confuse with
- Least Developed Countries (LDCs): these are a UN group based on low income and weak development, not on being islands. Some SIDS, such as Kiribati and Tuvalu, are also LDCs, but richer SIDS like Mauritius are not.
- IRIS: this is a CDRI programme that funds disaster-resilient infrastructure for SIDS. It is not the group of countries itself.