Small Island States Tackle Climate Change

April 24, 2012

Experts from more than 50 small island countries are meeting this week in Mauritius to discuss climate change and food security. The so-called Small Island Developing States are home to more than 50 million people.

The small island nations include Haiti, Fiji, Jamaica and Mauritius, which is hosting the meeting. called

Small Island Economies: From Vulnerabilities to Opportunities

Among those taking part is Michael Hailu, director of the Technical Center for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation.

Small islands, big problems

He says, “Small island developing countries have a lot of vulnerabilities because of their small size. They depend very much on single commodities or tourism for their incomes. They’re also vulnerable to climate change and other natural disasters. So they have a very specific set of problems.”

Hailu said the small island nations and territories are already seeing the effects of climate change.

“There are extreme weather conditions affecting many of the islands, more frequent hurricanes and drought and all that. So they are very much susceptible and they’ve had a lot of natural disasters from Haiti to many of the islands that have been facing these problems,” he said.

They’re also concerned about volatile food prices that have been common since the 2007/2008 global food crisis.