Governance and Vulnerability in Small Island States
GOVERNANCE AND VULNERABILITY IN SMALL ISLAND STATES By Ahmed Shukry Hussain A thesis submitted to the Victoria University of Wellington in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Development Studies Victoria University of Wellington 2008 I runga i te kī He aha I tem ea nui He tangata, he tangata, he tangata Nā konei te wero Kaua e hangai he ture I pērē i te kupenga ika He here hopo Engari, i pērē me te nekeneke tai he ārahi What is most important? It is people, people, people We should not create policies that are Like the fishing net That snares and strangles But like the surging tide That uplifts and carries forward (Communities and Government – Political for Partnership, Whakatopu Whakaaro, May 2001, the Community Policy Team, Ministry of Social Policy, New Zealand) Abstract In general, communities in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are socio- economically and environmentally vulnerable due to their geographical and ecological conditions. Small archipelagic states are even more vulnerable in terms of natural and human-induced disasters because of their fragmentation, isolation and smallness. Good governance is a vital precondition to reduce the vulnerability of these states. This study examines these two correlated phenomena, governance and vulnerability, their inter-related implications and complications, and the role of governance in reducing vulnerability of SIDS and their island communities. It also proposes some practical remedies for the challenges of these communities. Qualitative research using multiple methods, secondary data collection, informal semi-structured interviews, open-ended discussions, informal conversational interviews and direct observations, was carried out through case studies of two archipelagos, the republics of Maldives and Vanuatu.
[Show full text]