Environmental and Socioeconomic Vulnerabilities and Resilience in Small States

Small states face a number of challenges, mainly because of their geographical positioning and inherent characteristics, such as small populations, limited resources endowment and market constraints that make them more vulnerable to exogenous economic shocks. Climate change is adding a further layer of difficulty, making it more challenging to build long-lasting resilience. Building resilience in small states is crucial to enhance their capacity to address external shocks, however, this can vary depending on the specific context, geographical location and the socioeconomic conditions of each country. Tailored approaches and solutions are necessary to address the unique challenges faced by individual small states.

This volume, which adopts a humanitarian and development approach to address risks, vulnerability and resilience of populations in small states exposed to shocks, contributes to the growing academic literature on economic, environmental, social and climate vulnerability and resilience. In conjunction with efforts to address root causes of vulnerabilities, promote social justice and foster sustainable development, the book explores whether there is a more holistic approach that combines resilience with a focus on equity, social change and transformative actions, which can enhance the effectiveness of resilience efforts.

Written by experts in the field of small states and small island developing states, this book is an invaluable tool for those researching the impact of contemporary environmental and socioeconomic issues on small states worldwide.