Tiny, remote and low-lying in nature, small island developing states (SIDS) are typically dominated by richly diverse forest and coral-reef ecosystems that are particularly vulnerable to natural and human actions. In the past a sustainable balance between man and the natural environment of the islands was generally maintained. For the most part, island inhabitants were, dependent on fishing and subsistence farming. Now however, many SIDS are faced with a myriad of environmental problems, primarily as a direct result of increasing demand for already scarce resources. Coastal marine systems are under threat from over-fishing and reef destruction, resulting from dynamite use and cyanide poisoning. Urban areas are suffering from problems of overcrowding and lack proper solid waste management procedures, resulting in the illegal dumping of waste on land and at sea. The extent of environmental degradation varies from island to island. Nations such as Papua New Guinea still sustain relatively pristine forest environs, however, the natural environment of other nations have been virtually destroyed.
Furthermore, increasing negative effects of global environmental issues such as climate change are placing additional pressure on SIDS. Predominantly low-lying and therefore, vulnerable to sea level rise, SIDS islanders are faced with the urgent need to establish realistic measures to protect them from environmental catastrophe.
Due to their small size and concentrated resources base, the effect of human actions in SIDS is more evident than in larger areas. The environmental problems SIDS encounter foretells what could be in store for the rest of the earth. The following section provides an overview of the major environmental issues experienced by small island developing states.
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