Small Island Developing States

Newcastle University academics are exploring the role of customary law in marine resource governance. This is in the plural legal systems of the South Pacific islands of:

• Vanuatu
• Solomon Islands
• Fiji

The focus of this AHRC GCRF funded project was on women's experience and narratives of customary law. The aim was to establish if, and to what extent, women have a voice when customary law is incorporated into governance mechanisms for sustainability.

Find out more about Pacific women and marine resources

We're delivering the FORCE project in partnership with the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Barbados. The project involves extensive socioeconomic and governance fieldwork in various Caribbean locations such as:

• Barbados
• Honduras
• St Kitts and Nevis
• Belize

Ecological surveys have also been carried out across 22 Caribbean countries in the assessment of threats to marine ecosystems.

The project included jointly taught PhD students, staff exchanges and training.

The FORCE project laid the groundwork for the National Ecosystem Assessment and Blue Economy programmes. They are ongoing in Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands.

Find out more about the Future of Reefs in a Changing Environment project

Citizen science is an important mechanism for engaging young people in the Blue Economy. We're currently implementing projects together with our Water Hub programme in SIDS in the Caribbean (SDG 6 and SDG 14).

Activities include:

• safety at sea
• beach clean ups
• coral reef and sea turtle conservation
• trade issues relating to our oceans

Young researchers will collect and analyse data and report back to their national governments. The aim is to inform policy relating to:

• resilience
• climate change adaptation and food
• livelihood security in home countries and islands

The project:

• builds capacity
• inspires the leaders of tomorrow
• shares the prospect of prosperity and economic diversification

Find out more about Kids Action Thru Science

A symposium and two-week workshop recently took place on the use of sustainable, bio-based construction materials such as bamboo. Students and researchers from across the globe came together for this event, sponsored by Newcastle University's Global Partnership Fund. 

The workshops helped promote the decarbonisation of the built environment. They encouraged long-term innovation amongst the next generation of architectures and engineers from:

• Haiti
• Indonesia
• US
• UK

We're co-sponsoring a one-week short course on the Blue Economy and Trade. This is together with the University of the West Indies’ Shridath Ramphal Centre.

The course is in collaboration with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the United Nations Conference for Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

It will examine the global politics of trade, development and the environment. This is within the context of disasters such as:

• weather (hurricane, flood, drought)
• geophysical (earthquake)
• biological (epidemic)

Many of these disasters have been exacerbated or catalysed by climate change.

The course will also explore available tools to support relief, recovery and development. This will help strengthen countries’ resilience and chance of prosperity.