Small island nations face big issues at Barbados conference.

Once known for their untouched story-book charm, small islands today face deforestation, soil erosion, sea-level rise and other problems that have left them grappling for happy endings.

To tackle these issues and formulate strategies promoting environmentally-friendly development, delegates from around the world are to meet at the Global conference on the sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States from 25 April to 6 May in Bridgetown, Barbados.

The Conference is another offspring of the UN Conference on Environment and Development, held in June 1992 in Rio de Janeiro. At that "Earth Summit", small islands were designated as a vulnerable group, warranting special international attention. Paragraph 17 of "Agenda 21"--the comprehensive action plan adopted in Rio to promote sustainable development--calls on small island States to develop and strengthen inter-island regional and interregional cooperation and information exchange.

Key areas

The Barbados Conference has the task of recommending action in a number of key areas: climate change and sea-level rise; human resource development; waste management; coastal and marine resources; natural disasters; freshwater resources; energy; tourism development; biodiversity; transport and communication; and land use.

Due to scarce land resources, increasing development has placed heavy demands on island countries. Deforestation and erosion are widespread, and growing population pressures have depleted freshwater supplies. Valuable species inhabiting small islands and their seas are endangered. Education, training and other human resources development efforts are needed to ensure effective use of limited resources.

Small islands are also extremely vulnerable to natural disasters, making preparedness essential (see page 6 5). Tropical storms, for instance, have wiped out entire crops; recovering from such disasters can retard development by years.

External forces threaten small islands too. Sea-level rise, resulting from global warming caused mostly by emissions of greenhouse gases in industrialized countries, poses a serious threat. Dependence on imported fossil fuels also has impeded development, making renewable energy resources another concern of the Conference.

Preparatory Committee meets

Based on these concerns, a draft programme of action was discussed by the Preparatory Committee for the Global Conference at its resumed first session (7-11 March, New York). Progress was made, but agreement was not reached on a text on finance and technology.

Speaking on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, Algeria called the outcome of the meeting "rather disappointing". Trinidad and Tobago, speaking for the Alliance of Small Island States, also expressed disappointment that little had been accomplished to guarantee financing of activities for the sustainable development of small island developing States.

The Committee considered proposals for a Barbados Declaration and decided on Conference rules and dates for a high-level segment.

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were accredited, with some 150 observers expected to attend.

Non-governmental activities

At the Global Conference, a number of parallel events are to be held, including an NGO Forum, featuring lectures and workshops, and a "Village of Hope"--an exposition portraying island themes, such as tourism, energy management, communication and the media, women as innovators, and education.

SUSTECH '94--an exhibit showcasing sustainable technologies applicable to small islands--will focus on joint ventures and technology transfer in areas such as disaster preparedness, pharmaceutical production, pollution control and environmentally-friendly consumer products.