What’s history got to do with it? Colonialism, structural vulnerabilities and risk accumulation in Small Island Developing States
The Metabolism of Islands, the Islands section of ISIE, and Future Earth's Knowledge Action Network (Risk-KAN) on Emergent Risks and Extreme Events (Risk-KAN) is inviting you to a virtual keynote by Dr. Emily Wilkinson (brief bio below) titled "What’s history got to do with it? Colonialism, structural vulnerabilities and risk accumulation in Small Island Developing States (SIDS)" (abstract below).
This event is part of Risk-KAN Keynote series on "Islands at Risk". Risk-KAN is a Future Earth Global Research Network and a joint intitiative of Future Earth, IRDR, WCRP, and WWRP programs.
When: 19th June 2023, 11am EST | 4pm UK | 5pm CET
Where: Click here to join Zoom
What’s history got to do with it? Colonialism, structural vulnerabilities and risk accumulation in Small Island Developing States
SIDS share some common development challenges, starting with their size (small populations, small bureaucracies, and small economies), which makes them highly dependent on external conditions and vulnerable to external shocks of all types. Their location and topography make them particularly exposed to natural hazards. But many of the structural vulnerabilities SIDS face today are inherited -or were exacerbated- by decisions taken during the colonial period in relation to land use and natural resource extraction. The small Caribbean Island of Dominica is confronting these challenges in its quest to become the world’s first climate-resilient nation.
Dr. Emily Wilkinson is a Senior Research Fellow in Overseas Development Institute's (ODI) Global Risks and Resilience Programme, Director of the Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI), and adviser to the Alliance for Small Island States (AOSIS). She has 25 years’ experience as a researcher, analyst, journalist, lecturer, and government adviser, providing critical analysis and leading debate on climate and disaster risk and resilience, governance and financing.