Small Islands Big Picture

• Protecting our oceans: is impact investing the big ticket for small islands?

  We are witnessing a boom in new forms of financing that generate both profit for investors and a “social return” for communities. But what is “impact investing”, and why do we need more of it to protect our oceans and support small islands? Matt and Emily – with RESI colleague, Gail Hurley – reflect on the UN Oceans Conference in Nice, June 2025. We ask whether socially responsible investment can unlock new money for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and share powerful stories of islands and investors revolutionizing ocean protection through innovative financing. In Island Voices, Karuna Rana from Mauritius explains why local solutions are key to overcoming investment “ticket size.” In the Explainer, Gail unpacks what impact investing is and why it matters. In the Big Picture, Yabanex Batista (Global Fund for Coral Reefs), Melissa Walsh (Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance), and Hervé Lallement-Moe (Government of French Polynesia) discuss impact investing and the implications of UNOC3. Finally, in No Stupid Questions, Matt, Emily, and Gail ask how impact investing can support SIDS’ policy priorities. Featuring: Emily Wilkinson | RESI Director and Principal Research Fellow at ODI GlobalMatthew Bishop | RESI Director and Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield Gail Hurley | RESI Director and Development Finance Expert Karuna Rana | Director, Big Ocean States Initiative (BOSI) Yabanex Batista | Deputy Director, Global Fund for Coral Reefs, United Nations Capital Development FundMelissa Walsh Director | Director, Blue Finance & Scaling, Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA) Hervé Lallemant-Moe | Digital Economy Directorate, Government of French Polynesia Resources: Programme page (RESI)UNOC Declaration | Our ocean, our future: united for urgent action RESI work on ocean equity | Turning the tide: enhancing ocean equity for SIDS Karuna’s profile |Karuna Rana on LinkedIn BOSI website | Big Ocean States Initiative Yabanex’s profile | Yabanex Batista on LinkedIn Melissa’s profile | Dr Melissa Walsh at OORRAA Hervé’s profile | Hervé Lallement-Moe on LinkedIn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Narrating disaster: what’s it like to live through a hurricane or volcanic eruption?

  Disasters are a constant part of life on islands - but outsiders often just see the stats: storm categories, earthquake scales, eruption sizes. Behind those numbers are real people forced to live through harrowing experiences. In this episode, Matt and Emily ask: how do survivors make sense of the shock - and how do their stories help communities rebuild what was lost? In “Island Voices”, Darenthea Sweeney from Montserrat and Gregory Adams from the British Virgin Islands describe the lasting social effects of disasters. As a disaster management expert, Emily breaks it down for us in the 'Explainer'. Then, three academics – Adom Philogene Heron, Farah Nibbs and Gemma Sou – share how they work with communities affected by disasters to tell their own stories and push back against outside narratives. Finally, in “No Stupid Questions” Matt and Emily discuss whether anyone can ever truly prepare for a disaster on the scale faced by many small islands. Featuring: Emily Wilkinson (host) | RESI Director and Principal Research Fellow at ODI Matthew Bishop (host) | RESI Director and Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield Darenthea Sweeney | Schoolteacher and Climate Justice Leader, Montserrat Gregory Adams | Chief Planner, Government of the Virgin Islands Adom Philogene Heron | Lecturer in Visual Anthropology, University of Bristol, UK Farah Nibbs | Assistant Professor, Emergency and Disaster Health Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, United States Gemma Sou | Senior Lecturer in Human Geography, Monash University, Australia Resources: Programme page | Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI) Emily’s documentary | Climate Blueprint: Dominica Adom’s university webpage | Dr Adom Philogene Heron Farah’s university webpage | Dr Farah Nibbs Adam and Farah’s project | Surviving Storms: Caribbean Cyclone Cartography Gemma’s university webpage | Dr Gemma Sou Gemma’s personal webpage | www.gemmasou.com RESI research on loss and damage | The price of a changing climate | Calculating loss and damage from extreme weather events | The costs of inaction | Barriers to addressing climate-related loss and damage Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Is gang-related violence becoming worse in small islands?

  Small states are among the most peaceful societies, rarely experiencing war and conflict. Yet, on a per capita basis, some - especially, but not exclusively, in the Caribbean—suffer from daunting levels of homicidal violence. In this episode, ODI Global's Emily and Matt ask whether gang violence is getting worse, and explore how SIDS are investing in young people as one part of the solution. Featuring:Mtima Solwazi - Trinidad’s Roots Foundation on guiding disenfranchised youths away from illicit activities.Adam Baird, a leading gang expert who has pioneered a “masculinities” approach to anti-violence interventions throughout Latin America and the CaribbeanRivke Jaffe, an Amsterdam-based academic who has written extensively about Jamaica’s “Dons”Dylan Kerrigan, who has spent two decades working on myriad community peacebuilding projects across the Port of Spain.Resources:Programme page | Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)Mtima in the media | The impact of the USAID cuts on anti-crime programsMtima’s videos and promos | Roots Foundation YouTube pageAdam’s book | From South Central to SouthsideAdam's recent UNIDIR paper | Focusing on men to reduce global armed violenceAdam on the Common Ground podcast | Chronic vulnerability and violence in BelizeRivke’s book | The Rule of DonsRivke’s University of Amsterdam webpage | Professor Rivke JaffeDylan’s personal website with all of his writings | www.dylankerrigan.comAdam, Matt and Dylan’s papers | Breaking Bad: Gangs, Masculinities and Murder in Trinidad and How do gangs mediate ‘residual violence’ to sustain Trinidad’s homicide boom? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Navigating geopolitical upheaval: what does Trumpism 2.0 mean for SIDS?

  President Trump’s return to the White House in 2025 signals an upheaval in global politics. ODI hosts, Emily and Matt, ask what this means for small island developing states, and how they might navigate these increasingly choppy waters. Guests:William WaqavakatogaProfessor Joanne WallisProfessor Jack CorbettProfessor W. Andy KnightProfessor Xiaotong ZhangAli Naseer Mohamed, Permanent Representative of Maldives to the United Nations Resources:Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)Sustaining Development in Small Islands: Climate Change, Geopolitical Security and the Permissive Liberal OrderGeopolitical competition, bilateral aid, and the collective interests of Small Island Developing StatesOrdering the Islands? Pacific Responses to China's Strategic NarrativesPower and Influence in the Pacific Islands Understanding StatecraftinessSmall States, Mutual Respect and the Future of the Multilateral SystemEconomic threats loom for Caribbean nations in Trump 2.0New Economic Statecraft: China, the US and EUChina’s Modern Economic Statecraft: A Wealth-Power DialecticGeopolitical Competition in the International System Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Smelly seaweed: could Sargassum fuel the future?

  In recent years, many Caribbean countries have experienced a staggering influx of sargassum, a type of nuisance seaweed emanating from the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic Ocean. Beyond just its potent smell, sargassum seaweed is wreaking havoc on coastal ecosystems, fisheries and tourism infrastructure. In this episode, Emily and Matt ask where it has come from, why it has become such a problem and what this means for climate change. They also discuss exciting new technologies from small island nations which, in a bid for a more sustainable future, could see sargassum recycled and redeployed across the globe. Featuring:Emily Wilkinson (host) | RESI Director & Principal Research Fellow at ODI GlobalMatthew Bishop (host) | RESI Director & Senior Lecturer at the University of SheffieldOlivia Losbar | Journalist at Radio Caraïbe International (RCI) GuadeloupeEmma Tompkins | Professor of Environment, Geography and Development at the University of SouthamptonLegena Henry | Lecturer in Renewable Energy at the University of the West Indies and CEO of Rum and Sargassum Inc. Resources:Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)2nd EU-Caribbean Gateway Conference on SargassumHow sargassum causes chaos in the CaribbeanProfessor Emma TompkinsSustainable Sargassum ManagementRum and Sargassum Inc.Sargassum as an alternative transportation fuel Listen and subscribe to Small Islands Big Picture on: Acast, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts and Spotify Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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