Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are a  group of low-lying island nations that are home to  approximately 65 million people and extremely  vulnerable to the impacts of climate change –  despite being responsible for less than 1 percent  of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions1 . The  2022 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change  (IPCC) report on impacts, adaptation and vulnerability  confirmed that SIDS are increasingly affected by  tropical cyclones, storm surges, droughts, changing  precipitation patterns, coral bleaching and invasive  species. From 1970 to 2020, SIDS lost USD$ 153  billion due to weather-, climate- and water-related  hazards -- a significant amount given that the average  GDP for SIDS is USD 13.7 billion (WMO, 2020). For  those SIDS whose land lies only five meters or less  above sea level, projected sea-level rise represents a  direct threat to their existence.

Internationally, SIDS are identified as comprising  38 UN Member States and 20 non-UN Members/ Associate Members of United Nations’ regional  commissions and are typically grouped into three  regions: the Caribbean, the Pacific, and the Atlantic,  Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, and South China Seas  (AIMS). Of these, 40 countries are Parties to the United  Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change  (UNFCCC) and are the focus of this snapshot2. 

These island nations are diverse in many ways: level  of economic development, governance systems,  territorial area, geographical features, and language. 

For instance, 11 SIDS are considered high-income,  more than half are classified as middle-income,  yet eight nations are Least Developed Countries  (LDCs). Despite differences, SIDS face unique  environmental, economic, and social challenges. 

Common characteristics that contribute to these  challenges include: small populations, a narrow  resource base, economies heavily dependent on the  natural environment, remoteness from international  markets, reliance on fossil fuel imports, and limited  economies of scale. Such factors affect the adaptive  capacity and resilience of SIDS and make them  particularly vulnerable to biodiversity loss and  climate change.