Identifying the Format, Issues, and Delivery Methods for a Scalable "Blue Economy Toolkit"

Small island developing states (SIDS) are often challenged by structural barriers to economic development, dependence on official development aid, and increasing pressure on their natural resources by global phenomena such as... [ view full abstract ]

Small island developing states (SIDS) are often challenged by structural barriers to economic development, dependence on official development aid, and increasing pressure on their natural resources by global phenomena such as climate change. UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability and the Waitt Foundation are embarking on a multi-year project to try to address these barriers and illuminate strategies for sustainable development in SIDS.

Approaching this issue requires an examination of technical, administrative, legal and financial capacity. What existing data sets or tools can help SIDS quantify the services provided by their natural ecosystems? What are the barriers that prevent SIDS from accessing alternative funding sources? Are there policy constraints that are prolonging their dependence on official development aid? The project seeks address these questions and provide SIDS with an evaluation framework they can apply domestically along with case studies, lessons-learned and other supporting documentation to help them along their path to economic independence. 

We are in the beginning stages of the project so the poster will allow us to share our objectives with the marine conservation community and identify potential resources we could draw upon or collaborators we could connect with.  We will sketch the “products” we anticipate from this project and invite input from poster viewers on those products.