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Statehood Implications for Island Nations Endangered by Climate Change

This essay discusses statehood implications for island nations that may become submerged and physically disappear as a result of sea level rise caused by climate change. There are possible solutions that endangered island nations can consider – including acquiring new territory, merger with or absorption into another state, self-government within another state, or the creation of artificial islands. Creative ideas about de-territorialized states, governments-in-exile and political trusteeships have been suggested. The concept of sovereignty is complex, and is manifested in the real world along a spectrum. Ultimately, achieving a successful and sustainable solution to these challenging issues will require a deep and holistic understanding of the web of political, economic, social and cultural factors involved. This web of factors is grounded in the central concept of identity – including political, economic, social and cultural identity. In crafting appropriate responses, these multidimensional perspectives of identity should be contextualized with respect to the specific island nation. Thus, a customized approach is called for; one that focuses on the multidimensional phenomenon of identity over legal formalism. In other words, identity transcends the ‘nation-state’ construct. International efforts should strive to perpetuate, to the maximum extent possible, the multidimensional aspects of island identity, and secure the right of future generations of islanders to self-determination, to freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.