The International Workshop on “Impacts of Climate Change on Small Island Developing States (SIDS)” was held virtually on 28–29 February 2024. The Workshop was jointly organised by the Centre for Science and Technology of the Non-Aligned and Other Developing Countries (NAM S&T Centre), New Delhi, in partnership with the IORA Secretariat, Mauritius, and the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE), Delft, the Netherlands. The event aimed to strengthen understanding of the disproportionate impacts of climate change on SIDS and to promote knowledge exchange, collaboration, and capacity building to enhance climate resilience.
SIDS face acute vulnerabilities to climate change despite contributing minimally to global greenhouse gas emissions. Rising sea levels, coastal erosion, extreme weather events, changing rainfall patterns, droughts, and flooding pose serious threats to livelihoods, food security, biodiversity, infrastructure, tourism, and economic stability. The Workshop provided a platform to examine these challenges through scientific evidence, policy perspectives, and practical case studies.
The Workshop brought together policymakers, scientists, researchers, and practitioners from NAM Member Countries and IORA Member States. It comprised an Opening Session, five Technical Sessions, and a Closing Session, and featured three keynote lectures and 26 technical presentations covering climate impacts on extreme weather, marine and coastal systems, water resources, infrastructure, tourism, agriculture, human health, and carbon mitigation technologies.
Key discussions underscored the urgency of strengthening early warning systems, enhancing coastal resilience, improving water and food security, integrating nature-based solutions, advancing climate-smart infrastructure and transport, and promoting technology transfer and capacity building. Case studies from SIDS and coastal regions illustrated practical adaptation strategies and highlighted persistent gaps in finance, data, and technical capacity.
The Workshop concluded by reaffirming the need for coordinated international support for SIDS, emphasizing science-based policymaking, regional collaboration, and sustained investment in resilience-building to safeguard vulnerable island communities and support progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
