“The oceans do not separate us, they connect us. This network allows islanders to stand strong together at the frontlines of climate change and fight for our sustainable global future."

-Former Steering Committee Co-Chairs, Lirio Márquez-D'Acunti & Austin Shelton

The climate crisis is devastating communities across the U.S. and around the world. The extreme weather events, rising seas, economic disruptions, and health threats created and exacerbated by human-driven climate change are disproportionately affecting island communities, and current policies and programs routinely fail to meet their needs.

Island communities in the U.S. and around the world are literally on the front lines of the climate crisis. They are already coping with extreme weather events and rising seas that compromise or destroy critical infrastructure, changes in the marine environment that devastate fisheries and degrade the ecosystems upon which many island livelihoods depend, challenges associated with their physical isolation, and, in most cases, a relative lack of political power. 

Strong networks are crucial for building community resilience and staying ahead of disruptive change, whether a global pandemic, natural disaster, or major economic shocks. Activated networks accelerate the pace of information exchange, strengthen available support to community leaders, help to more effectively amplify priority needs, and direct necessary resources and funding, all vital to island resiliency.

We invite you to join The Climate Strong Islands Network and our advocacy and education efforts to promote just policies that support islands and their communities.

 

  •  The Climate Strong Islands Network Priorities

    U.S. islands face a host of singular challenges exacerbated by climate change and natural hazards, geographic limitations, and varying degrees of political affiliation and representation within the U.S. government. Island communities exist at the forefront of climate change, whether it be reoccurring disasters such as hurricanes and tsunamis or slow-onset issues such as extreme heat, ecosystem shifts, ocean warming, and sea level rise. These events have far-ranging impacts on human life and  livelihoods, as well as on societal systems and supports. Initial outreach efforts among potential network partners revealed the need for a stronger policy voice by island communities, especially those that do not have representation in the U.S. Congress, when it comes to issues  related to the climate crisis. Island communities, often isolated by geography, have had less of a voice in national policy directives and have expressed a strong desire to participate more directly in funding and policy-making activities that affect our future.  

    Although diverse across cultures, demographics, economies, histories, and representation at the federal level, U.S. island communities share many similar challenges in the face of climate change; these challenges provide important opportunities for learning, advocacy, and action. Access to high-quality education, affordable and safe housing, and stable supply chains are common concerns, as are issues related to sea level rise, access to affordable and  environmentally sustainable electricity and transportation, and resilient critical infrastructure, including telecommunications. U.S. islands are often politically under-represented by policymakers and elected officials which has resulted in under investment. The challenges with  implementation in island communities are exposed more rapidly than challenges elsewhere and provide a unique opportunity for important learning. Island-aware policies can help minimize the negative impact of unintended consequences of well-meaning policies and ensure more equitable investment allocations.  

  • Guiding Principles of the Network

    • Build trusting relationships by investing time, care, and respect for each other’s commitment and contribution to increasing the resiliency of island communities.

    • Deepen awareness and use of the concepts of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in our work.

    • Conduct transparent governance and decision-making.

    • Amplify the voices of island-based leadership, focusing on current and future generations.

    • Honor the distinct cultures and character of U.S. islands, while growing our collective impact.

    • Collaborate in a respectful and participatory way with island communities to develop new initiatives, programs, and projects that help them respond effectively to the growing climate crisis and other environmental challenges.

  • Objectives of the Network

    • Drive more resources, supportive policy, and attention to U.S. Islands. Advocate for resiliency improvements in housing and infrastructure, and tie those together with federal funding opportunities.

    • Amplify the collective voice (needs and opportunities) of U.S. island communities, especially through the Climate Strong Islands Declaration.

    • Support a laboratory of learning, identifying bright spots and lessons learned to replicate best practices, and accelerate progress on island sustainability and the circular economy, energy, housing and community development, natural climate solutions, regenerative agriculture, national policy reform agenda for islands, Covid-19 impacts, and the intersection between local and global actions.

    • Link U.S. island champions to each other to accelerate progress.

    • Link the Network to the global island network, including U.S. island leadership.

    • Leverage guidance and contributions from the CSIN membership to help U.S. islands adopt proven solutions for climate change mitigation and to achieve climate resiliency goals.