Tuvalu : balancing climate change and development initiatives in a small island developing state

Abstract

Climate change has become an important issue in the field of development, one that can strongly affect development priorities. Each country will be impacted in its own way by climate change, and socioeconomic, and political factors. Therefore balancing development initiatives and climate change efforts is crucial. Small Island Developing States are a category of countries that must deal with the effects of climate change now, and plan for the future effects that scientists are predicting. This thesis explores the different perspectives of what constitutes an optimal balance of attention to climate change versus development in the country of Tuvalu. This involves analyzing and comparing (1) the priorities set by the government and donor agencies for the allocation of time, effort, and money, with those of the local citizens, and (2) how the state of development indicators today compares with the situation twenty years ago, prior to the emergence of concern about climate change.