In the first of a series of three articles, Sam Judd gives comment on the challenges and successes of Small Island Developing States from the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States in Samoa.
Most of us who think about the islands dream of escaping the harsh New Zealand winter to sip pina coladas on a stretcher, while being waited on and sung to by locals.
While this is a reality for the flash resorts, which are often owned by international companies, many sunburned tourists forget about the reality that 52 of these little tropical countries are considered by the United Nations to be developing states.
I am currently at the UN Small Island Developing States conference in Samoa. At an event like this (perhaps the biggest economic activity that Samoa has ever seen), it is clear that these nations need help.
Small islands are particularly prone to natural disasters, are vulnerable to international prices and are the first to be impacted negatively by sea level rise.
Their inherent remoteness, expensive infrastructure, small populations (meaning they cannot easily achieve an economy of scale) and reliance on fossil fuels make sustainable development even more challenging in these places.