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Sustainable Islands—A Pacific Perspective
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Sustainable Islands—A Pacific Perspective

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Resources and Sustainable Utilization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 July 2013) | Viewed by 26912

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Murukesan Krishnapillai

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
ISA, Agricultural Experiment Station, College of Micronesia-FSM, Yap Campus, P.O. Box 159, Kolonia, Pohnpei FM 96941, Micronesia
Interests: sustainable agriculture, small island environment, sustainable energy, small farms, climate-smart agriculture, sustainable soil management
Dr. Joy Murray

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
ISA, School of Physics, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Prof. Dr. Manfred Lenzen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
ISA, School of Physics, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The island states and territories of the Pacific region, collectively called Oceania, form a triangular oceanic blanket covering some 165 million square kilometers between China, Australia and Chile. They possess a unique cultural heritage, but also face unique challenges on their way towards sustainable development. In particular, most of island states are small in land area as well as in population, and have therefore limited means for dealing with energy, water and waste problems. The United Nations’ Mauritius Strategy (2005–2015) recognized the vulnerabilities of small island states and formulated 20 priorities that need to be addressed through regional cooperation. The strategy identified key challenges that need attention in order to ensure sustainable growth and development within the states and in the region as a whole.

This Special Issue provides an overview of perspectives on sustainable development for remote Pacific Islands. Articles included in this special issue will cover a broad range of issues including energy supply and demand, carbon emissions, climate change, waste management, water, traditions and skills, education, economic development, health and lifestyles. Special attention will be given to a balanced exposition that gives room for a broad range of approaches, institutions and viewpoints.

Dr. Murukesan Krishnapillai
Dr. Joy Murray
Prof. Dr. Manfred Lenzen
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Pacific islands
  • remote islands
  • sustainability
  • energy
  • wastes
  • water
  • climate change
  • demographic change
  • economic development
  • skilled labor
  • health
  • education
  • heritage
  • culture
  • lifestyles

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

552 KiB  
Article
Sustaining Sanak Island, Alaska: A Cultural Land Trust
by Katherine L. Reedy-Maschner and Herbert D. G. Maschner
Sustainability 2013, 5(10), 4406-4427; https://doi.org/10.3390/su5104406 - 17 Oct 2013
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 10187
Abstract
Sanak Island is the easternmost of the Aleutian Islands and was inhabited by the Aleut (Unangan) peoples for nearly 7000 years. The past few centuries of Sanak Island life for its Aleut residents can be summarized from ethnohistoric documents and extensive interviews with [...] Read more.
Sanak Island is the easternmost of the Aleutian Islands and was inhabited by the Aleut (Unangan) peoples for nearly 7000 years. The past few centuries of Sanak Island life for its Aleut residents can be summarized from ethnohistoric documents and extensive interviews with former residents as shifting local-global economic patterns beginning with the sea otter fur trade, followed by cod and salmon fishing, fox farming, and cattle ranching through waves of Russian, American, and Scandinavian authority and/or influence. As the industries changed and the island absorbed new peoples with new goals, Aleut identity and practices also changed as part of these shifting economic and social environments. Sanak Island was abandoned in the 1970s and although uninhabited today, Sanak Island is managed as an important land trust for the island’s descendants that serves local peoples as a marine-scape rich in resources for Aleut subsistence harvesting and as a local heritage site where people draw on the diverse historical influences and legacies. Further, this move from an industrial heritage to contemporary local subsistence economies facilitated by a commercial fishing industry is a unique reversal of development in the region with broad implications for community sustainability among indigenous communities. We find that by being place-focused, rather than place-based, community sustainability can be maintained even in the context of relocation and the loss of traditional villages. This will likely become more common as indigenous peoples adapt to globalization and the forces of global change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Islands—A Pacific Perspective)
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1534 KiB  
Article
Sustainability of Wastewater Treatment and Excess Sludge Handling Practices in the Federated States of Micronesia
by Joseph D. Rouse
Sustainability 2013, 5(10), 4183-4194; https://doi.org/10.3390/su5104183 - 25 Sep 2013
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 8465
Abstract
A survey of wastewater treatment facilities in the Federated States of Micronesia revealed a lack of fully functional treatment systems and conditions that potentially could lead to adverse environmental impacts and public health concerns. Due to inadequate facilities, the amount and composition of [...] Read more.
A survey of wastewater treatment facilities in the Federated States of Micronesia revealed a lack of fully functional treatment systems and conditions that potentially could lead to adverse environmental impacts and public health concerns. Due to inadequate facilities, the amount and composition of wastewater entering the plants as well as the degree of treatment being achieved is largely unknown. In some cases raw sewage is being discharged directly into the ocean and waste sludge is regularly taken by local residents for agricultural purposes without adequate treatment. In addition, the need to establish best management practices for placement and maintenance of septic tanks is urgent. Furthermore, development of eco-friendly solutions is needed to more effectively treat wastewater from industrial and agricultural sources in an effort to abate current pollution problems. Comparisons of treatment methods being used and problems encountered at different locations in the islands would provide valuable information to aid in the development of sustainable treatment practices throughout Micronesia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Islands—A Pacific Perspective)
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855 KiB  
Article
The Nourishing Sea: Partnered Guardianship of Fishery and Seabed Mineral Resources for the Economic Viability of Small Pacific Island Nations
by Paul D'Arcy
Sustainability 2013, 5(8), 3346-3367; https://doi.org/10.3390/su5083346 - 06 Aug 2013
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 7567
Abstract
While island biogeography and modern economics portray Pacific island nations as isolated, ecologically fragile, resource poor and barely viable economies forever dependent on foreign aid, Pacific island history and culture conceives of their islands as intimately inter-linked to the surrounding ocean and of [...] Read more.
While island biogeography and modern economics portray Pacific island nations as isolated, ecologically fragile, resource poor and barely viable economies forever dependent on foreign aid, Pacific island history and culture conceives of their islands as intimately inter-linked to the surrounding ocean and of that ocean as an avenue to expanded resource bases, both terrestrial and aquatic. Pacific Islanders live in the most aquatic human zone on Earth, with the highest territorial ratios of sea to land. Recent studies are revealing the continuity and success of traditional near-shore guardianship of maritime resources in a number of Pacific islands. Sustainable development of seabed minerals and pelagic fisheries may offer enhanced income potential for small island nations with limited terrestrial resources. As offshore ecosystems are poorly policed, sustainable development is best realized through comprehensive planning centred on partnerships between local communities, their governments, marine scientists and commercial enterprises. The success or failure of Pacific Islanders in reasserting their maritime guardianship is now a matter of global significance given the decimation of most fisheries beyond the Pacific and the vast, but uncertain, medicinal, mineral and food resource potential of this huge area of the planet. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Islands—A Pacific Perspective)
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