How can policy provide enabling conditions for a sustainability transition in the Pacific Islands region that are based on sound scientific analysis and assessment of conditions and trajectories in major sustainability domains?
- What did the project do?
- What did the project produce?
- How can the project make a difference to development?
- Publications
What did the project do?
This project provided a rapid strategic sustainability assessment (SSA) of the Pacific Islands region with a view to comprehensively accounting for their natural resource, social and economic circumstances (the “triple-bottom line”). The approach used was a modified form of Strategic Environmental Assessment (Dalal-Clayton and Sadler 2005) which includes some of the aspects of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. The assessment provided a series of principles about: (i) natural resource conditions and trajectories, (ii) economic conditions and trends, and (iii) emergent social issues.
The principles can be used to inform policymakers and improve planning and governance throughout a region in which there is a paucity of quality information.
What did the project produce?
This desk-top research produced a report that consists of the sustainability assessment framework and a number of chapters around governance, social, economic and environmental (resource) conditions in all Pacific Island states. The report summarises major conditions and trajectories and clusters countries. It discusses strategies and enabling policies for a sustainability transition in the region.
How can the project make a difference to development?
Well informed policies based on a comprehensive sustainability assessment might enable a transition of current Pacific Island economies towards sustainability.
Publications
Project report: Sustainability Assessment of selected countries in the Pacific Islands May 2011