Asia-Pacific, Climate Change, Latin America & the Caribbean Addressing Climate Risks in Small Island States – Opportunities for Action

June 23, 2022
By Zinta Zommers | SDG Knowledge Hub

The International Institute for Sustainable Development's SDG Knowledge Hub has published this article as part of a series from our 2022 Global Shifts Colloquium, "Islands on the Climate Front Line: Risk and Resilience."

Recent reports by the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC), in its Sixth Assessment Cycle, offer a sobering evaluation of the climate related challenges facing Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Indeed, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has called the reports a file of shame, stating that, “We are on the fast track to climate disaster”. This brief reviews the risks to SIDS highlighted in the IPCC report on “Impacts, Vulnerability, and Adaption” and reviews opportunities to act earlier, highlighting progress on anticipatory action by the UN and other partners.

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