Premium
Coastal issues for oceanic islands: implications for human futures
Author(s) -
Nunn Patrick D.,
Veitayaki Joeli,
RamBidesi Vina,
Vunisea Aliti
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
natural resources forum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.646
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1477-8947
pISSN - 0165-0203
DOI - 10.1111/j.1477-8947.1999.tb00909.x
Subject(s) - small island developing states , blueprint , vulnerability (computing) , futures contract , environmental planning , sustainable development , environmental resource management , sustainable management , geography , sustainability , business , climate change , oceanography , ecology , environmental science , geology , computer science , engineering , mechanical engineering , computer security , finance , biology
Compared to continental areas, most islands have exceptionally long coastlines relative to their total land area. For this reason, islands are uncommonly vulnerable to problems associated with coasts. The future of the human inhabitants of many island states depends intrinsically on the sustainable management of their coasts, a challenge which grows more pressing as island populations increase and the associated demands on island coastlines change and grow. These issues are presented and discussed in this article. The mechanics of the sustainable management of island coasts is itself an important issue. At the national or local level, management is plagued by problems of insufficient and/or imprecise data and understanding that may lead to inappropriate solutions that even exacerbate the problems they are intended to solve. At an inter‐governmental or international level, problems associated with the understanding of island environments need to be resolved before optimal management strategies can be developed. This article presents a brief explanation of the nature of coastal vulnerability on oceanic islands, followed by a discussion of several key problems associated with their sustainable development and the role of human and non‐human factors in recent environmental change. It discusses the future of oceanic island coasts in the face of both internal and external threats to their sustainable management. It concludes with a blueprint for their survival.