Small Islands Big Picture

The seemingly unstoppable rise of “big data” and Artificial Intelligence is reshaping and destabilising the global economy. But where do small islands fit into this? Could digital technologies like AI level the playing field, or do they represent a new form of technocolonialism? Can Small Island Developing States (SIDS) embed them quickly enough to benefit from new economic opportunities, or are they likely to be left further behind? In this episode, Emily and Matt speak to a number of experts grappling with these kinds of questions. In our "Island Voices" segment Kunal Singh from Fiji talks about the impact of AI on climate finance. We then break down the issue with Preeya Mohan from Trinidad and Courtney Lindsay from Jamaica in our “Explainer”. Next, in the “Big Picture” we speak to Külli Sarapuu, from Estonia, and Donald Baldeosingh from Trinidad, two people who are grappling with the public policy implications of digitalisation. Finally, in “No Stupid Questions”, Emily and Matt ask whether the risks of AI are overstated by critics. Featuring:Emily Wilkinson (host) | RESI Director and Principal Research Fellow at ODI GlobalMatthew Bishop (host) | RESI Director and Senior Lecturer at the University of SheffieldKunal Singh | Climate Finance Access Network (CFAN) Advisor, Pacific Community (SPC)Preeya Mohan | Senior Fellow, Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies, University of the West IndiesCourtney Lindsay | RESI Director and Senior Research Officer, ODI GlobalKülli Sarapuu | Associate Professor, Tallinn University of TechnologyDonald Baldeosingh | Founder, Carbon Zero Institute of Trinidad and TobagoResources:Programme page | Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)Kunal’s LinkedIn page| Kunal SinghPreeya and Courtney’s report | Engines of Growth: Building Knowledge Economies in SIDSAnother blog they wrote with Emily | Why SIDS need to act quickly on AIPreeya’s university webpage | Dr Preeya MohanDonald’s CZITT webpage | Carbon Zero Institute of T&TKülli’s university webpage | Dr Külli SarapuuAn important UN report | Small Island Digital States

In July 2025, The International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a unanimous advisory opinion affirming that states have legal obligations under international law to prevent environmental harm and uphold human rights while reducing emissions to stay within 1.5°C of warming. For Small Island Developing States (SIDS), this was a remarkable victory. But what are the political and legal implications, and how can big polluters be held to account? In this episode, Emily and Matt interview six people involved in the process to an offer a thorough expert account of what the ICJ opinion really means for SIDS. Featuring:Emily Wilkinson (host) | RESI Director and Principal Research Fellow at ODI GlobalMatthew Bishop (host) | RESI Director and Senior Lecturer at the University of SheffieldOdo Tevi | Permanent Representative of Vanuatu to the United NationsShiv Shankar | Tuvalu Ambassador for Oceans and Climate Change, Special Envoy to The Commonwealth, and Permanent Representative to UNESCO and the UNFCCBryce Rudyk | Director, International Environmental Law Program, New York University and Senior Legal Advisor to the AOSIS ChairNadia Sánchez Castillo-Winckels | Founder and Director, Climate Legal ConsultingCoral Pasisi | Director of Climate Change and Sustainability, Pacific CommunityFrancesco Sindico | Professor International Law, University of Strathclyde, and Co-Director of C2LIResources:Programme page | Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)ICJ Opinion | Obligations of States in Respect of Climate ChangeEmily, Matt and Nadia’s op-ed | Why a chain of tiny Pacific islands wants an international court opinion on responsibility for the climate crisisOdo’s homepage | Ambassador Odo Tevi on LinkedInShiv’s homepage | Ambassador Shiv Shankar on LinkedInNadia’s homepage with links to readings | Nadia Sánchez Castillo-WinckelsBryce’s homepage with links to readings | Bryce Rudyk at NYUCoral’s homepage | Coral Pasisi at SPCFrancesco’s Book | Research Handbook on Climate Change LitigationC2LI Website | Climate Change Legal Initiative

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 

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 

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?

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  

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

Intellectuals and activists have long demanded reparations for the horrors of slavery and other colonial abuses. For Small Island Developing States, these demands appear particularly urgent as intensifying climate-related shocks compound existing injustices. In this episode, Emily and Matt ask whether questions of repair and recompense can no longer be avoided by powerful actors. If so, what could such a dialogue look like, how might it shape political and policy agendas, and can it be harnessed to support greater climate justice? We hear from Gabrielle Hemmings, a Jamaican reparations activist in “Island Voices”. We then move on to an extended panel discussion in “The Big Picture” with three eminent experts: Verene Shepherd, Professor Emerita at the University of the West Indies and erstwhile Director of its Centre for Reparation Research, outgoing Chair (and current Vice Chair) of the UN Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and Vice-Chair of the CARICOM Reparations Commission; Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University and author of Reconsidering Reparations; and Emma Christopher, Associate Professor of History at the University of New South Wales, and author of Slave Ship Sailors and Their Cargoes and Many Middle Passages. Resources:Programme page | Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)CHOGM Samoa 2024 Communiqué | Leaders' Statement and Declarations on 'One Resilient Common Future'CARICOM Reparations Commission | Ten Point PlanVerene’s UWI Profile listing many of her books | Verene A. ShepherdVerene and Gabrielle’s recent book | Introduction to Reparation for Secondary SchoolsVerene’s recent UNESCO piece | The Caribbean Calls for Restorative JusticeVerene’s 2019 Keynote Address | Capitalism and Slavery as a Handbook for ReparationsFemi’s website with links to his writing | Olúfẹ́mi O. TáíwòA virtual public lecture by Femi | Reconsidering ReparationsEmma’s UNSW profile with links to her writing | Emma ChristopherEmma’s Documentary | They Are We