Challenges Facing SIDS

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) include low-lying coastal countries that share similar sustainable development challenges, including:

• small population,
• limited resources,
• remoteness
• susceptibility to natural disasters,
• vulnerability to external shocks,
• and excessive dependence on international trade.

Their growth and development is often further stymied by:

• high transportation and communication costs,
• disproportionately expensive public administration and infrastructure due to their small size,
• and little to no opportunity to create economies of scale.

51 Small Island Developing States

Currently, fifty-one small island developing States and territories are included in the list used by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs in monitoring the sustainable development of SIDS. These countries are often categorized by their three regions:

• The AIMS (Africa, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and South China Sea)
• The Caribbean
• The Pacific

These States and territories often work together in the United Nations through the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).