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Watch to learn how UNDP is supporting SIDS to catalyze digital transformation, fostering innovation to accelerate transformative recovery and sustainable development
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Image: UNDP
According to a new study from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the South-West Pacific experienced 1,402 reported disasters from 1970 to 2019, resulting in 65,380 lives lost and US$ 163 billion in economic loss. This worsening issue, now compounded with the effects of a global pandemic, has inspired island states to innovate solutions through national strategy. Tuvalu has just recently finalized its Country Preparedness Package (CPP), which outlines disaster risk management structure, legislation and policies. This accomplishment fits well into the theme of this year's Disaster Risk Reduction Day: #ItsAllAboutGovernance. Tuvalu's CPP, now the fourth of its kind to be developed in the Pacific, will ensure on-the-ground disaster preparedness efforts that are guided by community priorities to allow for early and quicker recovery. Strengthening disaster risk reduction, preparedness, response and recovery is not only premised on strong governance frameworks, but on broad, impactful partnerships. The Connecting Business Initiative (CBi), previously featured in the UNDP SIDS Bulletin, is a multi-stakeholder initiative providing a mechanism to engage with the private sector strategically before, during and after emergencies. Through this initiative, private sector networks across the Pacific mobilize resources for effective disaster risk preparedness, response and recovery. In the area of disaster risk reduction, UNDP supports SIDS to harmonize disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation planning along with supporting the improvement of early warning systems. Early knowledge of impending disasters saves lives and protects community livelihoods and helps build resilient societies to allow SIDS to continue along their pathways to sustainable development. In the Caribbean, UNDP has provided technically and financially supported countries in the Caribbean to build Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) apps to send hazard alerts directly to smartphones. This initiative demonstrates the power of digital tools in building resilience and empower communities to safeguard their progress towards sustainable development. This program was recently employed in Antigua and Barbuda and is preceded by one in Barbados.
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Image: UNDP Guinea Bissau
Digital solutions hold the power to extend healthcare to marginalized and hard-to-reach communities as well as accelerate efficiency in care through online data collection and storage. Prior to the pandemic, UNDP supported Guinea-Bissau in digitizing the country's malaria response. Previously, Guinea-Bissau had recorded malaria data by hand and sent it by public transport for analysis, a process taking up to three weeks. However, the dissemination of mobile tablets to health facilities enabled electronic monitoring and has contributed to a 16 percent decrease in malaria-related deaths since 2017. Now, digital evolution has become increasingly more crucial as vulnerable communities face the threat of COVID-19. To meet this need, Guinea-Bissau has continued to evolve by digitizing COVID-19 clinical and laboratory processes through a DHIS2 system to expand service reach, increase efficiency and encourage data collection through its new healthcare portal. To facilitate digital literacy, UNDP has also prioritized educating users in the country's 11 health areas on this new tool. Digital storage of this kind facilitates resilience in ensuring that important information can survive weather-related disasters, and strategy that centers on both access to and education on technological innovation ensures that development is inclusive, bridging digital divides. Two other lusophone SIDS of the AIS region, Cabo Verde and São Tomé e Príncipe have also implemented DHIS2 systems to better extend healthcare services to vulnerable groups, with São Tomé and Príncipe announcing the launch of this important tool on October 12. The above initiatives demonstrate how the SIDS Offer, through its third pillar — Digital Transformation — creates an effective COVID-19 response strategy that not only accelerates the speed of treatment in a time of crisis but also builds a sustainable model for post-pandemic use.
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| Image: UNDP GEF SGP
Despite local communities' long history as responsible stewards of nature, traditional wisdom is too often forgotten in decision-making processes, especially those dominated by technical expertise, such as climate change. Since 1970, SIDS have lost US$ 153 billion due to weather, climate and water-related hazards, a number which shows few signs of slowing. As climate events threaten island states at an increasingly devastating rate, these countries are turning inward for inspiration on how to build forward better. In Samoa, leaders of the villages of Faleaseela, Lefaga and Siufaga, Falelatai, assembled to share knowledge on nature-based solutions (NBS) to combat the effects of climate change on low-lying coastal communities, including how to best preserve mangrove marine-protected areas. Each leader drew on their own experience to collaborate on replicable initiatives. The village of Faleaseela has completed mangrove and marine conservation projects and Siufaga is currently undertaking the same project; both are funded by the UNDP's Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme. Local communities have the capacity to safeguard their own resources; indigenous peoples already manage 80% of the world's remaining biodiversity. As a core element of UNDP's SIDS offer, NBS hold great potential to drive ambitions for more resilient, sustainable societies. NBS alone can deliver at least a third of the cost-effective CO2 mitigation needed through 2030. Our support extends to incorporating more and better NBS targets in SIDS' Nationally Determined Contributions to meet the global goal of keeping global temperatures below set targets.
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Image: Zaimis Olmos/UNDP
Women are often forgotten in discussions of climate change despite its propensity to exacerbate existing gender inequalities, particularly among rural women as they face vulnerabilities regarding agriculture and geographic remoteness compounded with gender-based issues. To meet this need, UNDP's EnGenDER initiative supports Caribbean countries to apply a gender lens to the climate commitments in their NDCs. October 15's International Day of Rural Women further emphasized this program's work in climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction, which currently includes a scoping study in St. Vincent and the Grenadines to identify opportunities for inclusive NDC implementation as well as new gender equity policies. Beyond the Caribbean, one Maldives community is harnessing local knowledge to employ sustainable farming methods to maximize yields and mitigate environmental and socioeconomic impact, protecting vulnerable populations including women. The Integrated Agroecology Farming project led by GEAR Cooperative Society in Haa Dhaalu Nohlivaram Island has initiated an educational agroecology system, including solar-powered watering and hydroponic pipes, with support from UNDP and GEF's Small Grants Programme. Women are core drivers of development — especially in times of crisis — offering a unique skill set that should not be underestimated or ignored. UN Women Pacific summarized this sentiment perfectly through their Markets for Change celebration in Honiara in the Solomon Islands, where they commended local women's crucial efforts in the COVID-19 response.
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Image: WorldFish via Flickr
Worldwide, SIDS are harnessing the opportunity to invest in their own marine resources to boost domestic revenue, protect their precious ocean areas and ensure food security for local communities. As COVID-19 added additional pressure to food insecurity across SIDS, the Vanuatu government is seeking to increasing the capacity of coastal communities to manage their fishing practices and take the lead on ensuring the future of their marine resources. The country is doing so by encouraging more people to take up aquaculture and build fish farms, and the Pacific Community is assisting islands in establishing nearshore fish aggregating devices for local fishers, with both initiatives working to meet food shortages through subsistence and commercial practice. In Tonga, a new study has revealed the success of the country's Special Management Areas for preserving marine environments, which seek to develop incentives for sustainably managing ocean resources through community engagement. In a move to protect their greatest natural resource, Samoa committed to preserving 30 percent of the country's ocean area, adding 36,000 kilometers of newly protected space. SIDS leadership in the Blue Economy extends beyond the Pacific. In fact, on October 8, the Commission of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and UNCTAD launched the "Blue BioTrade Project", which aims to empower small-scale producers to sustainably sell Queen Conch in a global market by implementing "BioTrade Principles" to both protect this fragile resource and enhance trade opportunities. As these "Large Ocean States" are pioneering the Blue Economy paradigm, UNDP is committed to supporting governments as they develop national policies and strategies in the area and explore opportunities to utilize innovative blue financial solutions for recovery and beyond. These efforts are focused on preservation and restoration of ocean ecosystems, supporting island states to explore new economic opportunities and regain lost value from ecosystems degradation.
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Image: Eugene Kaspersky via Flickr
As the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events increases, threatening local infrastructure and decimate livelihoods, innovative financial mechanisms are being touted as a possible path to security. As their existing vulnerabilities are magnified further by the COVID-19 pandemic, SIDS leaders reiterate their call and ambition for exploring opportunities for developing creative financial instruments to address the complex situation they are in. For the South Pacific, having already endured Cyclone Harold in April, the threat of uncertainty looms ahead in this year's cyclone season. Early assessments of the damage caused by cyclone Harold across Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands, estimates losses in excess of US$600 million. Although Fiji's economy is diversified through tourism, agriculture, fisheries, garments, retail and manufacturing, cyclones have had a devastating impact on infrastructure and local businesses, especially due to the high proportion of informal employment and subsistence activity, an issue which most severely impacts women and youth. To address these persisting challenges, The Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery offers guidance on four innovative financial mechanisms to help the island cope with this increasing risk: revenue diversification, adaptive social protection, financial inclusion for saving and access to credit, and lastly — market insurance to protect against larger losses. Insurance offers the opportunity to perpetuate development and fund rebuilding post-disaster. With the development and exploration of creative disaster risk financing solutions, SIDS can safeguard island livelihoods and avoid set-backs along their development trajectories. To encourage growth in this area other initiatives including, the Pacific Insurance and Climate Adaptation Programme (PICAP) aims to provide quick financial assistance after natural catastrophes through affordable insurance. Furthermore, the Insurance and Risk Finance Facility, a flagship initiative being launched by UNDP at the end of 2020 will help countries find joined-up solutions through insurance, risk and resilience funding. An initiative rooted in partnership, building on existing networks such as the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance the Insurance Development Forum and the InsuResilience Global Partnership.
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As COVID-19 has turned the business landscape on end, SIDS are using digital solutions to reinvent the traditional buying-selling process. Through a transition to e-commerce and online idea sharing, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) can move past these initial economic shocks and reach new customers, reintegrating themselves into local and global markets. The AIS Blue Startup Hub — a platform where new and emerging businesses in marine-related industries can connect with mentors, consumers and potential partners — has launched its first Incubation Program. This is a case study mentorship program where members will take a deep dive into the challenges of today's market and craft solutions with peer guidance. The program creates a network between entrepreneurs and investors, public sector actors and others stakeholders, building strong networks is core to supporting businesses to not only overcome the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, but to foster healthy and resilient entrepreneurship ecosystems - key to SIDS development pathways. The program, launched virtually on October 7, was attended by 18 startups from 6 countries, including Fiji and Mauritius. Engage with the AIS Blue Startup Hub here for a chance to participate in future opportunities and events, and build inter-island connections.
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Efficient, sustainable, resilient and inclusive infrastructure is vital to the achievement of the SDGs, and in addressing the challenges inherent to SIDS. It is estimated that infrastructure directly influences up to 92 percent of the SDG targets attainment. Despite the unprecedented challenges posed by the pandemic, SIDS have shown no lack of ambition to overcome the hardship and continue progress during the Decade of Action. Investing in infrastructure can have transformative impact, solutions such as inter-island shipping services, pooling resources among countries to yield economies of scale can help overcome barriers associated with their smallness. Improving digital communications infrastructure can target issues of remoteness and resilient coastal infrastructure can protect coastal communities and the tourism industries. These investments will also improve accessibility to services for women, girls and vulnerable groups, contributing to the reduction of inequalities and bridging gender gaps. In this report, UNOPS provides a comprehensive analysis of evidence-based infrastructure development in SIDS. The analysis can support SIDS' governments in identifying challenges and opportunities for improvement in this area by highlighting ways for island states to harness their unique resources to overcome vulnerabilities and reap long-term benefits from infrastructure investments. These opportunities have the potential to bolster whole-of-island resilience and propel social and economic development.
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Image: Tracey Jennings / Coral Reef Image Bank
Over the past few weeks, recent reports on the condition of the ocean have offered sobering evidence that things may in fact be much worse we had previously thought. Plastic pollution continues to plague our waters at an unfathomable rate, with an estimated 14m tons of plastic pieces less than 5mm wide sitting at the bottom of the ocean, and deep ocean temperatures are rising quicker than previously thought, raising sea levels and intensifying hurricanes. These findings only underscore the critical importance of collaborative global efforts to enable marine preservation and restoration, an assertion that was further emphasized by the recent announcement of the first coalition of private corporations in favor of an international treaty on plastic pollution. In line with this work, a newly designed Story Map by the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) illustrates a new global treaty on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity for areas beyond national jurisdiction. The Story Map emphasizes the importance of listening to stakeholders' experiences and priorities for decision-makers to respond accurately to these needs, taking into account the realities of in this case the Caribbean people. For SIDS, the ocean is a vital resources, providing livelihoods and food security to billions worldwide. The more than 100 million people who live on or near the coasts around the Caribbean Sea benefit from the ocean for their livelihoods, recreation, health, well-being, culture and spirituality. The Story Map illustrates this profound importance of the ocean to communities in the region, identifying threats like land-based pollution, overfishing, the impacts of climate change including ocean warming and acidification. To tackle one of these many challenges, UNDP's Ocean Innovation Challenge, launched in January, received over 600 submissions to its first call for proposals on preventing marine pollution. Out of the 12 short-listed projects four were submissions from SIDS. The importance of preserving and restoring ocean ecosystems is high on the global agenda and of particular importance to as these Large Ocean States forge their pathways towards sustainable development.
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A year ago, no one could have ever imagined our current circumstances due to COVID-19. Although this situation may seem like nothing the international community has ever faced before, lessons from past disasters can still be gleaned to aid in socioeconomic recovery. Disaster Risk Reduction Day provided the perfect opportunity to highlight UNDP Asia-Pacific's recent report on applying lessons from past disasters to the COVID-19 pandemic. The document includes 10 lessons and opportunities for investment: disaster anticipation, strong health response, rapid funding, evidence procurement, diverse financing, dedicated national leadership, government and community engagement, greener development and disaster data. The report invites the international community to look at our current crisis in a "broader systemic way" by addressing the underlying drivers of risk, such as poverty, inequality, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, human rights violations and fragility. This highlights a key mindset in pursuing recovery: we are not starting from square zero. For SIDS, recovery means moving towards greener societies and economies, as they seek to harness this moment to address their most pressing challenges. The report aligns with the ambitions for overcoming the crisis expressed by island state leaders, including stronger regional and international cooperation, greening their economies and catalyzing digital disruption and innovation. Lessons learned from past crises as identified in the analysis can support Asia-Pacific SIDS in crisis response and recovery planning.
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The ocean economy offers one of the greatest opportunities for SIDS to transform and diversify economies. This outcome document of the 2020 CEO Roundtables on Ocean, published following the inaugural Ocean Stewardship Annual Review held by the Global Compact, identifies actions business can take to advance five areas: sustainable seafood, decarbonizing shipping, harnessing ocean energy, ending ocean waste pollution, and mapping the ocean. The findings of the report can help guide actors as they advance sustainable ocean economies.
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As governments and civil society take innovative, bold action for people and planet towards recovery and beyond, UNDP's Multi Country Office in Jamaica is a proud partner in many of these efforts. In this podcast, UNDP Jamaica meets the actors of development, tackling poverty, inequality and climate change in Jamaica, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands. Collectively they are a mighty force for change. Listen to and follow the podcast here!
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Episode 12 of Frontier Dialogues features a discussion on innovative and sustainable agriculture with NGO FAAM's Mohamed Zubair. SIDS' unique vulnerabilities result in significant food security and nutrition challenges that have been magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic. This episode explores the GEF-SGP and UNDP supported 'Kihaadhoo Goes Organic' project as well as the importance of making a shift to more nature-friendly ways of farming. Find episode 12 of the podcast produced by UNDP Maldives here!
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Take a free course on green entrepreneurship!
A new six-week course, supported by a multi-partner network, including UNDP, will begin on November 2, offering a step-by-step framework for transforming a green business idea into a viable business plan for value-generating, market-fit solutions.
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Recognizing that the Caribbean is a region poised for growth, 'The Case for SDG Investment in the Caribbean' presents investable opportunities in the Caribbean with a coherent and intentional focus on sustainable development. Given the impacts and relevance of COVID-19, the report makes an explicit effort to identify investable opportunities within the context of the pandemic as well as opportunities that arise within a post-pandemic Caribbean. This event will feature panel discussions, breakout sessions, and opportunities for virtual networking with attendees and stakeholders.
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