Island States Research Articles

Talent management in small and micro businesses: can soft skills be trained?

Purpose The paper is part of a wider four year doctoral study examining talent management in small and micro businesses in small island states. It focuses specifically on soft skills training and how it is used as an employee retention tool, analyzing the attitudes of owner-managers, HR consultants and the effect on their businesses. Design/methodology/approach This paper’s methodology is a qualitative one, gathering data from fourteen semi-structured interviews, with constant comparative analysis to determine findings. MAXQDA software is utilized throughout the process. Findings Findings emerging from the data indicate that the soft skills trainability of employees is questioned by owner-managers and often overlooked as a talent management tool. This at a time when the competitive importance of outstanding customer relations makes such skills increasingly important, especially since the talent pool in small island states is relatively small. Originality/value Findings shed light on small and micro businesses in a small island state and may also reflect regional economies of larger countries that similarly rely on small and micro businesses.

Assessing subsidy integration in the 40 years of agricultural planning in the Maldives

87% of agricultural subsidies are harmful to the environment and human health while contributing little to food security. The first step to addressing harmful subsidies is to identify and trace them in policies. Small Island Developing States (SIDS), such as the Maldives, are the most vulnerable to environmental degradation caused by activities they contribute minimally. In the case of subsidies, the relative contribution to the environmental degradation by islands and the relative impacts of subsidies on islands are not studied, leaving a void in the global knowledge pool. This paper addresses the first step of this gap by identifying and assessing the historical trends of subsidy integration in Maldivian agricultural policy by analyzing their temporal distribution patterns and the quality of subsidy inclusion in national plans in the past four decades. The framework adopted for this study is a multi-criteria scoring protocol and a classification of 15 subsidy types to deliver a quantitative overview of the status and trends in subsidy in the agriculture sector of the Maldives. The results showed that although the scale of agriculture in the country is limited, subsidies have consistently been an integral part of agricultural planning since 1985, with agricultural inputs being one of the most frequently and highly subsidized over the years. Twelve different subsidy types were traced in the ten assessed national plans, and eleven subsidy types were identified in the plan from 2019 to 2023. These results serve as a baseline for the understanding of subsidies in the Maldives by providing a narrative of an island state for the global overview of subsidies and for comparative studies thereof.

Access to Public Available Health Data and Knowledge of Health Indicators Among Students at the Faculty of Public Health in Timor-Leste

Increasing the capacity to provide quality, timely and reliable data is one of the targets of the SDGs, especially in small island states like Timor-Leste. This research aims to analyze Faculty of Public Health students' access to public health data and their understanding of key health indicators. This research used a quantitative method with a cross-sectional survey approach with a structured questionnaire that was self-completed by the respondents. The sample consisted of 152 purposively selected students from the first to fourth semester. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results showed that most students had accessed various sources of health data, such as the Timor-Leste Ministry of Health (91%), WHO (78%), and UNICEF (63%). However, students' understanding of important health indicators was low; 86% did not understand the underweight indicator, 80% did not understand life expectancy, and 90% did not understand infant mortality. This research implies the need for curriculum development that focuses on data literacy and statistics to improve students' ability to access, analyze, and understand public health data. This intervention is important to prepare graduates who are able to face future data-driven public health challenges.

Analysis of Applying the Read Answer Discussion Explain and Create (RADEC) Model in Learning to Write Narrative Essays at the Grade V Students of Osi Island State Elementary School

The learning model and learning materials are one unit that is implemented together at the same time. Choosing the suitable learning model that suits the material for writing narrative essays can help students improve their writing skills. The RADEC learning model (read, answer, discuss, explain, and create) is a learning model that helps teachers in the learning process. This model not only improves students' writing skills in elementary school but also increases writing creativity and encourages students to be able to produce narrative essays. This research aims to describe the application of the RADEC model in learning and students' ability to write narrative essays. The study employs a descriptive qualitative research method. The research results show that applying the RADEC model in teaching writing in the classroom can help students write narrative essays and improve students writing skills. This result was achieved by implementing the RADEC model steps: the teacher provides a reading text containing several questions for students to read and answer; after that, students discuss; next, they present the results of the discussion; and students write narrative essays. The results of applying the RADEC model in learning to write narrative essays show that the ability to write narrative essays of 20 5th-grade students at SD Negeri Pulau Osi was in a good category. Keywords: RADEC model, writing, narrative essay

Climate Change and the Struggle for Climate Justice

Climate change is one of the greatest global challenges. The phenomenon and actions taken to address it have thrown up some contentious issues. One of such issues is climate justice. This paper analyses the bases for climate justice and the attempts at achieving it. The basic sources of data were the publications/documents of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) secretariat and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Information was also obtained from the publications and websites of the climate negotiation blocs, such as G77 + China and Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), and several Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) such as Climate Action Network, Oxfam, GreenPeace and Third World Network. The climate justice struggle has been necessitated mainly by two driving forces. These are the experiences of the impact of climate change and the environmental legal principles that have emerged from environmental and climate change challenges. In spite of the fact that climate change and its impact are global, vulnerabilities vary across regions and socio-economic groups. The disproportionate impact of climate change is one of the drivers of the struggle for climate justice. The environmental/climatic legal principles that have formed bases for the climate justice struggle derive largely from UNFCCC, the Rio Declaration and the Paris Agreement. They are, to an extent, related to the Principle of Disproportionate Climate Burden. The principles include Common But Differentiated Responsibilities, Polluter Pays, No-Harm (to others) and Beneficiary Pays. Strategies employed in the struggle for climate justice include advocacy, focused negotiations at CoPs, protests/strikes, and litigation. Although, the developing countries have been the leaders in the struggle for climate justice, CSOs have been particularly prominent. The demand for increased financing of climate mitigation and adaptation has been characteristic. The struggle has resulted in more climate action. However, the ultimate focus must be the achievement of net zero emissions.

Request for an Advisory Opinion Submitted by the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law, Case 31

Abstract On 21 May 2024, the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) delivered a ground-breaking and authoritative advisory opinion on States’ obligations under Part XII of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOSC). After confirming its jurisdiction over the request, ITLOS ruled that greenhouse gas emissions cause ‘deleterious effects on the marine environment’ and therefore constitute pollution under the LOSC. ITLOS explained the relationship between obligations under the LOSC and climate law and clarified the due diligence nature of the LOSC obligations to prevent marine pollution and to protect the marine environment.

The Australia-Tuvalu Falepili Union Treaty: Statehood and Security in the Face of Anthropogenic Climate Change

On November 9, 2023, Prime Minister Albanese of Australia and then Prime Minister Natano of Tuvalu signed the Australia-Tuvalu Falepili Union Treaty in Rarotonga (Falepili Union Treaty or the Treaty). The preamble explains that “the concept of Falepili . . . connotes the traditional values of good neighbourliness, duty of care and mutual respect.” It sets a groundbreaking precedent for Small Island States threatened by rising sea-levels, addressing both State continuity and climate resettlement. Nonetheless, and despite its subsequent entry into force on August 28, 2024, it has not been without controversy in Tuvalu and, to a lesser extent, Australia due to provisions seen by some as substantially infringing Tuvalu's independence in foreign relations or even its sovereignty.

Between tides: examining China discourses in Pacific Island news media

The Indo-Pacific context has gained increasing geopolitical focus over the last decade, and particularly over the last five years as powers such as the United States, Australia, the European Union (and three of its Member States – France, Germany and the Netherlands) have elaborated dedicated Indo-Pacific strategies. Underlying these has been a concern with the actions of China, defined through contested geopolitical discourses on its role as an actor in the region. While this contestation has been given some attention in academic literature, notably absent has been a consideration of the impact on regional states caught between these discursive tides, and particularly of the Pacific Island states (unsurprising, given the focus on the northern maritime arc that predominates in Indo-Pacific research). This article fills this gap through analysis of eight news media outlets (seven local and one regional) covering October–November 2019 and 2022, identifying the main discourses on China in Pacific media and their source, and examining the impact of these on local Pacific reporting. It finds that, notwithstanding the preponderance of ‘Western’ discourses on China’s role in Pacific media through republication of external media reporting, this does not translate into influence over Pacific reporting. Instead, it is Chinese discourses on its role that have the greatest resonance.

Global Responsibility to the Sovereignty of Sinking Island States Due to Climate Change: A Study in a Cosmopolitan Law

Global Responsibility to the Sovereignty of Sinking Island States Due to Climate Change: A Study in a Cosmopolitan Law

Emotional geographies of roadkill: Stained experiences of tourism in Tasmania

AbstractGlobally, road fatalities affect wildlife populations and ecosystems, leading to ecological imbalances, economic losses, and safety hazards for both animals and humans. However, the emotional toll on humans is less well understood. This research explores tourists’ responses to roadkill, using emotional geography as the overarching framework, and focusing on the island state of Tasmania in Australia. Tasmania is known for its diverse and abundant native wildlife, as well as the unfortunate distinction of having Australia’s highest rate of wildlife fatalities caused by vehicle collisions, commonly referred to as roadkill. A mixed‐method questionnaire asked respondents to share emotions, and we then considered their relationships to socio‐demographic attributes. Around 97% of respondents encountered roadkill during their stays, and 63% encountered live animals on or near the road. Tourists identified sadness as the most felt emotion when confronted with the consequences of wildlife–vehicle collisions. Anger and disgust were also experienced, primarily because of the unpleasant sight of roadkill and the realisation that animals suffered. Women reported being more negatively affected than men. Tourists who had visited to see wildlife were more affected than those who had not. Analysis leads to the conclusion that unplanned, sporadic, unexpected, and confronting encounters with dead animals detract from the tourism experience for most, especially encounters with wildlife was anticipated as a positive experience on tour. Such findings have wider implications for those working in the tourism industry in mainland Australia, Canada, and South Africa, where roadkill is also problematic.

Sasa’a le fafao?: Approaches to Return and Reintegration of Criminal Deportees (Returnees) into Samoa

Pacific Island states face high levels of criminal deportations arriving from the United States, Australia and New Zealand—with the expectation that returnees will simply reintegrate. However, reintegration into a country that individuals often do not remember, or know the language or cutural protocols of, can be difficult. Returnees may face social stigma and/or subsequent surveillance and legal requirements on their return: the latter known in scholarly literature as ‘crimmigration creep’. In this article, we examine the case of Samoa, which has taken a unique culture-centric approach to reintegration through the establishment of the quasi-governmental Samoa Returnees Charitable Trust, rejecting external ‘one-size-fits-all’ approaches. We argue that this exertion of Samoa’s agency has led to a delay in crimmigration creep.

Climate change and extremes in the Mediterranean island of Cyprus: from historical trends to future projections

Cyprus is a European island state in the eastern Mediterranean climate change hotspot. Despite being a relatively small island, it has diverse climatic zones, ranging from semi-arid to subhumid in the mountains and humid on Mount Olympos. Given the accelerated rate of environmental change in the region, the present study aims to identify, and update observed trends of critical climate parameters, highlighting vulnerable climatic areas within the island. Moreover, since nationwide multi-model assessments of future climate conditions are limited or outdated, we aim to investigate the range of future climate projections using a 21-member EURO-CORDEX ensemble under pathways RCP2.6 and RCP8.5. Besides mean conditions, we analyze various extreme climate indicators relevant to socio-economic activities such as agriculture, biodiversity, tourism, energy and water resources. Our historical analysis revealed a statistically significant increasing temperature trend (0.4 °C–0.6 °C per decade), which is more pronounced during the summer and spring. Concerning precipitation, the observed trends are not as robust, nevertheless, the southeastern coast and the central regions near the capital city of Nicosia are substantially drier and more prone to further changes in precipitation regimes. The projections for the end of the 21st century, according to the high radiative forcing scenario (RCP8.5), indicate that Cyprus is likely to experience an annual temperature increase of over 4 °C and an approximate 20%–30% reduction in annual rainfall, relative to 1981–2000. These projections highlight an alarming trend that requires urgent attention and proactive measures to mitigate the potential impacts of climate change on the island.

Land use and environmental degradation in the island state of Mauritius: Governance and problem conceptions

Biodiversity and natural ecosystems underpin human life and wellbeing, yet they are systematically degraded by anthropic activity, with land use change being the direct driver most impacting terrestrial ecosystems. Since scholars argue that solving the biodiversity crisis hinges on the problem conceptions that steer governance, and since land use is governed predominantly at the national level, we seek to identify the problem conceptions expressed through the governance of the land use – environment nexus in a country where ecosystem degradation persists despite tenure security: Mauritius. Through interviews with key informants, corroborated by documentation review, we investigate the current governance systems across legislative, policy, and institutional frameworks to elicit the main governance issues that may reveal underlying problem conceptions. Our results point to weak commons and compromise approaches, which systematically enable land use changes for financial maximization at the expense of natural ecosystems. Economic optimization and ecosystem prioritization approaches were not observed despite recognition of nature’s role in the wellbeing of citizens. In this context, which may be similar in many developing countries, the introduction of biophysical and monetary natural capital accounting is recommended to provide commensurate data on the benefits derived from ecosystems and those derived from economic activities, in order to better inform compromise and prioritization.

Managing technology-critical elements from electronic waste in Small Developing Island States: a burden or an opportunity?

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) face profound challenges from pollution, exacerbated by inadequate infrastructure and resource limitations. This paper examines the longstanding pollution issues plaguing SIDS, highlighting their vulnerability to environmental degradation due to underdeveloped waste management systems and unique oceanographic conditions. The case study of Eleuthera Island in The Bahamas illustrates these challenges vividly, showcasing the island’s struggle with e-waste management. This example reinforces the urgency of integrated strategies to enhance environmental resilience and sustainable development in SIDS. Emerging concerns include the proliferation of technology-critical elements (TCEs) in e-waste, driven by rapid urbanization and tourism growth. Despite their crucial role in technological advancement, TCEs pose significant recycling and management difficulties, particularly in the context of limited waste infrastructure. The paper also highlights the imperative for comprehensive regulatory frameworks and sustainable practices to mitigate pollution impacts and safeguard ocean and human health, particularly by shedding light on legislative gaps and opportunities for enhancing pollution control measures in The Bahamas.

Exploring the diabesity characteristics and associated all-cause mortality at a population level: results from a small European island state

Exploring the diabesity characteristics and associated all-cause mortality at a population level: results from a small European island state

Exposure to Transnational Maritime Crime in the Pacific Islands Region

Although the Pacific Islands are strategically located alongside important trade routes, between the Global North and Global South countries and among plentiful fishing grounds, this region is considered among the lowest risk for land‐based organized crime. Grouped as a uniform region, collectively, the Pacific islands are anything but. The region consists of three ethnogeographic subregions with varying colonial, cultural, and legal legacies. Geographically, the Pacific Island states are remote, with small populations dispersed across many islands, some of which are uninhabited, limiting the ability to adequately surveil and protect this extensive maritime domain, creating porous land and sea borders. These challenges increase the complexity of policing the large exclusive economic zones of the region and therefore increase its vulnerability and potential exposure to various transnational organized crimes on land and at sea. Drawing on Kelling and Wilson’s broken windows theory, this article considers from a theoretical perspective, how international law can be used as a framework to guide Pacific Island states in achieving strengthened, region‐led resilience to transnational maritime crime in the pursuit of maritime justice.

Tourism and Urban Development: The case of a coastal village in a small island state

This paper discusses how Marsascala, a coastal town in Malta, has been urbanized over the years, with particular attention to the development of the tourist industry. Young’s (1983) “general model of the process of ‘touristization’ and landscape change” is engaged with to study the impact of tourism development on the locality and local community. Different research methods were used, including qualitative interviews via thematic analysis, fieldwork, orthophoto maps, and analysis of secondary data. Findings show that tourism plays a major role in the local economy. Overdevelopment and population increase (fuelled by tourism and influx of foreign workers) are major challenges in the locality. The former fishing village has as a result reached stage six (intensive tourism consolidation) of Young's model. While more services are available to locals and visitors, the quality of life in the locality is deteriorating. This has raised questions about the need to redevelop the Jerma Hotel which will partly be a real estate project. The authors propose a seventh stage to Young’s model - ‘real estatation’ whereby more areas are taken over by real estate projects including for short-term rentals. This paper is linked to the EU Cost Action CA221222 Rethinking the Blue Economy: Socio-Ecological Impacts and Opportunities (RethinkBlue), in particular in relation to the themes covered by Working Group 3 - Port cities & coastal communities.

Global burden of metabolic diseases, 1990–2021

BackgroundCommon metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hypertension, obesity, hypercholesterolemia, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), have become a global health burden in the last three decades. The Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) data enables the first insights into the trends and burdens of these metabolic diseases from 1990 to 2021, highlighting regional, temporal and differences by sex. MethodsGlobal estimates of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and deaths from GBD 2021 were analyzed for common metabolic diseases (T2DM, hypertension, obesity, hypercholesterolemia, and MASLD). Age-standardized DALYs (mortality) per 100,000 population and annual percentage change (APC) between 1990 and 2021 were estimated for trend analyses. Estimates are reported with uncertainty intervals (UI). ResultsIn 2021, among five common metabolic diseases, hypertension had the greatest burden (226 million [95 % UI: 190–259] DALYs), whilst T2DM (75 million [95 % UI: 63–90] DALYs) conferred much greater disability than MASLD (3.67 million [95 % UI: 2.90–4.61]). The highest absolute burden continues to be found in the most populous countries of the world, particularly India, China, and the United States, whilst the highest relative burden was mostly concentrated in Oceania Island states. The burden of these metabolic diseases has continued to increase over the past three decades but has varied in the rate of increase (1.6-fold to 3-fold increase). The burden of T2DM (0.42 % [95 % UI: 0.34–0.51]) and obesity (0.26 % [95 % UI: 0.17–0.34]) has increased at an accelerated rate, while the rate of increase for the burden of hypertension (−0.30 % [95 % UI: −0.34 to −0.25]) and hypercholesterolemia (−0.33 % [95 % UI: −0.37 to −0.30]) is slowing. There is no significant change in MASLD over time (0.05 % [95 % UI: −0.06 to 0.17]). ConclusionIn the 21st century, common metabolic diseases are presenting a significant global health challenge. There is a concerning surge in DALYs and mortality associated with these conditions, underscoring the necessity for a coordinated global health initiative to stem the tide of these debilitating diseases and improve population health outcomes worldwide.

Blue Economy Financing Solutions for the Fisheries and Aquaculture Sectors of Caribbean Island States

This study reviews various financing solutions available for fisheries and aquaculture development in Caribbean small island developing states (SIDS) and Barbados, Grenada, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Previously identified financing needs within the fisheries and aquaculture sectors have been matched with the most suitable financing mechanisms. However, the use of blue levies is recommended and applicable in almost every scenario, as they allow these sectors to drive their own development in financing research and conservation projects to their own benefit. The use of “blue tokens” with sufficiently low repayment coupons allows development projects to gather public support for fisheries, thereby increasing the likelihood of the project being successful through community buy-in. The possibility of natural capital being traded as public equities as “Natural Asset Companies” provides the opportunity for development projects to fund themselves. The review concludes that natural capital can be leveraged as the base through which public-private partnerships (PPPs) can facilitate optimal delivery of ecosystem services, benefit multiple stakeholders, and provide numerous development opportunities. An enabling environment for debt and lending with low-interest loan repayments is also applicable to almost every scenario, as it facilitates access to capital finance for infrastructure development and the acquisition of increasingly sustainable fishing equipment. Steps towards generating an enabling environment for financing fisheries and aquaculture in the Caribbean region are also discussed. The establishment of dedicated financing institutions, PPPs, and sufficient data reporting infrastructure for the fisheries and aquaculture industry are essential for driving development in these sectors. Likely, the largest limiting factor in financing Caribbean fisheries and aquaculture industries is a lack of awareness of the range of finance and financing mechanisms available to stakeholders, as well as an enabling environment for financing blue Economy sectors. This review is thus intended to aid financing institutions, Blue Economy developers, and specifically Caribbean fisheries and aquaculture stakeholders and Caribbean governments by raising awareness of the financing mechanisms available, encourage the incorporation of their use in the fisheries and aquaculture industries in the Caribbean, and encourage policymakers to create an enabling environment for financing development in these crucial sectors.

Integrating soft skill development with recruitment and retention strategies: the case of a small island state

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the challenges relating to the integration of soft skill development with recruitment and retention strategies in small and micro businesses of a small island state. Recruitment and retention play an important role in the development of such skills, which make an impact on the effectiveness of employees in today’s workforce and the adaptability of organizations in a competitive market.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses qualitative methodology, collecting data from 14 semi-structured interviews, and uses constant comparative analysis to derive findings. The process is facilitated by MAXQDA software.FindingsFindings indicate that organizations are faced with challenges in recruiting candidates with both technical and soft skills. Once the right candidate is recruited, efforts are made to retain staff by enhancing soft skills and their development despite challenges encountered in the process by owner-managers and human resource consultants.Originality/valueThe paper’s originality lies in the intensive investigation of challenges relating to recruitment and retention of employees and of the development strategies used as part of the employee lifecycle. Further, this paper studies the small and micro businesses of a small island state, which are generally overlooked in the literature.