Global warming particularly affects Small Island Developing States (SIDS) located in the Caribbean, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean and South China Sea. The lack of infrastructure, low population density, fragile ecosystems, limited financial resources and dependence on non-insular economies are factors that increase their vulnerability. Despite their small land surface, they are extremely important for the conservation of coral reefs and the high local biodiversity. In order to develop strategies for adaptation to new conditions and extreme events, historical records, palaeoecological and archaeological data can provide information on how past populations overcome climate challenges and environmental changes (s. fig. 1).
Figure 1: Historical records collected within the SIDS show periods that are characterized by rising temperatures (1) accompanied by extreme events (2) and sea level rise (SLR, 3). As a result of SLR, the coastal regions were flooded and the coastline shifted inland, making the reef barriers (4) less protective against e.g. high waves, and less accessible as hunting grounds. The people who lived near the coast developed various strategies such as building houses on stilts, using easily replaceable materials or moving to higher ground if possible (5). Reduced access to marine food sources led to the exploration of the island’s hinterland, deforestation, initial cultivation and changes in diet (6, 7).
Produced by Rebecca Lellau & Hans Sell, MPI-GEA
