Battered by storms, small island parliaments focus on adaptation and resilience

©IFRC: Tonga, April 2020, in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Harold.  

Battered by the worst of climate change, the parliaments of many small island developing States (SIDS) are proactively preparing for extreme weather events that are becoming more frequent and intense, as well as for rising sea levels and other long-term changes. 

From Antigua to Vanuatu, the world’s 57 SIDS (39 sovereign States and 18 dependent territories) are often located in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions, including tropical cyclone zones. A large share of their land surface is made up of low-lying coastland, which also exposes them to storms and sea level rises. In anticipation of further climate change, the relocation of some islanders has already begun.

“Comparatively, small island developing States have emitted very, very little carbon,” says IPU Secretary General, Martin Chungong. “And yet they often find themselves at the very sharpest end of this terrifying long-term trend.”

A category five storm, Hurricane Beryl, smashed through the Caribbean region in July 2024, caused at least partly by exceptionally high ocean surface temperatures. While it came unusually early in the season, scientists say the storm could be one of up to seven major hurricanes in the North Atlantic this year.

Adaptation and resilience

Given their low emissions and extreme vulnerability, most SIDS are very focused on adaptation and resilience. 

Coastal protection is an important theme, including environmental restoration, sea wall construction, and other coastal defences. Many climate strategies also feature early warning systems, emergency preparations and climate-appropriate urbanization.

Parliamentarians help with such efforts through the development of climate budgets and legislation, as well as holding their governments to account for implementation. In the Seychelles National Assembly, the International Affairs Committee has shifted its focus to climate change, including implementation of promises made at COP26, the UN climate conference in Glasgow in 2021. 

Talking at COP28, in late 2023, Waven William, an MP from Seychelles and President of the IPU Standing Committee on Sustainable Development spoke about the importance of parliamentary engagement with the public. He also described Seychelles’ efforts to build resilience, noting that the 115-island archipelago was ahead of its planned schedule to protect its seagrass and mangrove ecosystems. 

The country is also buttressing its coastline with major projects to adapt to coastal erosion.

In Trinidad and Tobago, some villagers are using vetiver grass to restore their environments, protecting the steep hills against the risks of heavy rains and landslides.

The country’s Minister of Planning and Development, Penelope Buckles, told the IPU about the country’s work towards a just transition, shifting away from an economy based largely on oil and gas production towards something that is more sustainable. 

“You can well imagine that when you speak about having been in fossil fuels for well over 100 years, it’s not an easy matter to address,” she said. “We have also looked at policy for a just transition of the workforce, which is aimed at dealing with upskilling and retooling the workforce in keeping with the United Nations principle of leaving no one behind,” she added.

Eye-catching features in the country’s national climate strategy also include tax-free imports of electric vehicles and plans for a green hydrogen economy.

In May, the IPU and the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago organized a regional seminar to discuss the latest climate data and developments, also highlighting best practices. 

Knowledge exchange

The IPU is keen to enable the exchange of knowledge, information and best practice. In March 2024, working with the Arizona State University (ASU), it sent parliamentarians from four countries to a meeting in the Swiss Alps with nearly 300 leading sustainability experts, entrepreneurs, investors and philanthropists.

Participants at the Villars Institute Summit discussed ways to accelerate the transition to a net-zero economy and address the biodiversity crisis. Arizona State University also co-hosts, a fellowship programme with the Blue Planet Alliance, an organization dedicated to climate change solutions. The fellowship programme brought representatives from island nations, including the Seychelles and Tonga, to Hawaii to learn about its transition to 100% renewable energy. 

Climate finance

Some solutions to limit climate death and destruction will require significant investment, however. According to the World Bank, SIDS will need to spend as much as 20% of their GDP each year to protect their infrastructure and invest in coastal defences.

In 2009, high-income countries agreed to channel USD 100 billion per year for climate finance into low- and middle-income countries, a target that was eventually met in 2022. As the needs have increased, many countries are now pushing for USD 1 trillion per year. 

Some SIDS would be glad to borrow on private markets, but the global financial system means that most are unable to get the loans they need at the rates they can afford. And too much money is spent on servicing enormous debts. 

In July 2022, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley launched the Bridgetown Initiative, calling for urgent and decisive action to reform the international financial architecture.

“If low- and middle-income countries cannot access the finance they need at rates they can afford, then the world will lose its climate battle,” the IPU’s Martin Chungong said. 

“That is a loss for all of us and explains why finance will be such a major issue for COP29,” he said, referring to the talks due to take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, between 11 and 22 November 2024.

Seychelles

A visual feast of 115 small, fertile and rocky islands scattered across a patch of the Indian Ocean more than twice the size of France. With a tiny population of about 100,000, the country’s economy – one of Africa’s wealthiest – is highly dependent on tourism and fisheries, but both are seriously challenged by climate change. 

Changing weather patterns and ocean conditions have brought drought, flooding, landslides, coastal erosion and more. Critical coastal infrastructure – including airports, ports, desalination plants, roads, hotels and other buildings – have all been damaged. The underwater environment – so attractive to tourists – has been seriously impacted by ocean acidification and coral bleaching.

Seychelles emits virtually no greenhouse gases, but its climate strategy includes a transition to renewable energy, mainstreaming climate change considerations into its national policies, strategies, and plans, and the development of capacity to enable all levels of society to respond to the climate emergency. 

In 2015, Seychelles wrote off almost USD 22 million of its debt in exchange for creating 13 new marine protected areas where fishing, oil exploration, and other development is either banned or severely restricted.

Its single chamber National Assembly harvests rainwater for use in daily operations, has installed solar panels, and banned single-use plastic bottles from its territory.

Tonga

A group of more than 170 islands spread over an area of the South Pacific roughly the size of Japan. Tonga’s economy relies heavily on farming, fishing and remittances from overseas, especially New Zealand. Thanks to its tropical beaches, rainforest and active volcanoes, tourism is also an important source of income.

According to its 2020 nationally determined contribution (NDC), key threats from climate change include changing temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, rising sea levels, ocean acidification and tropical cyclones. 

A 2022 volcano eruption highlighted the Pacific nation’s vulnerability when it caused a tsunami with waves as high as 15 metres, which gutted entire villages and caused an estimated USD 90 million, or 18.5% of GDP, worth of damage.

Tonga aims to capture carbon and build resilience by using 30% of its land for forestry or agroforestry. It was also planning to plant 1 million trees by 2023, including coastal species such as mangroves. Tonga – whose population is just over 100,000 – will protect 30% of its coastal waters too, benefitting marine biodiversity and fish stocks alike. 

Tonga is one of the world’s most at-risk countries for natural hazards such as cyclones and flooding. The only Pacific island nation that was not colonized and Polynesia’s last monarchy, Tonga ended 165 years of feudal rule when it elected a parliament in 2010. 

Trinidad and Tobago

The twin island State of Trinidad and Tobago may be small, consisting of the two main islands and other smaller isles, but it is well developed. In the UN’s 2023/4 Human Development Report, it was ranked 60 out of 193 countries and territories. With a population of 1.3 million, at least part of this success stems from its oil and gas production. It has also become a major financial centre in the Caribbean. 

Like many other small island developing States, however, Trinidad and Tobago is extremely vulnerable to climate change. More than 70% of the population, 80% of economic activity, and 50% of essential transport arteries are located in the coastal zone. The country has already experienced the adverse effects of climate change and – based on the best available scientific data –expects extreme weather events to become more frequent and intense. Tropical storms, rising sea levels, flooding and the potential loss of coastal ecosystems are all serious threats to sustainable development.

Trinidad and Tobago’s national climate policy focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting renewable energy, and enhancing resilience to climate impacts. The island State is one of the first countries in the world to pursue a just transition

©IFRC: Tonga, April 2020, in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Harold.  

Find out more about the IPU’s campaign to mobilize parliaments to act on the climate emergency.

Supported by ASU Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory