Rising Up for SIDS: UNDP’s 10-Year Plan to Transform Island Vulnerability into Strength

In an ambitious new strategy shaped with research inputs from UNDP’s Global Policy Network, the UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office, and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), the UN Development Programme has unveiled “Rising Up for SIDS”, a sweeping plan to support Small Island Developing States (SIDS) through 2034. These nations, often small and remote, are among the most environmentally and economically vulnerable in the world. Despite rich cultural heritages and vast natural resources, including control over 19% of the world’s exclusive economic zones, SIDS face immense challenges, from unsustainable debt and import dependency to devastating climate risks. The new strategy aligns closely with the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS), a ten-pillar development roadmap adopted in 2024, aiming to empower SIDS through sustainable, inclusive, and climate-resilient solutions.

Escaping the Debt Trap and Building Economic Independence

One of the most pressing issues SIDS face is crushing debt. Over 40% of them are near or already in unsustainable debt conditions, which stifles investment in vital sectors like health, infrastructure, and education. UNDP is championing debt-for-development swaps, concessional financing, and private-sector mobilization to help SIDS redirect resources toward sustainability goals. The economic strategy supports diversification by expanding into green and blue economies, digital services, and creative sectors, while fostering entrepreneurship and inclusive finance systems. Women-led MSMEs receive particular emphasis, along with policies that harness diaspora investment and integrate trade into national development. UNDP is also advocating at the global level for a reformed international financial architecture that accommodates the unique vulnerabilities of SIDS and promotes flexible, climate-aligned lending frameworks.

Resilience, Energy and Climate Action: A Triple Imperative

SIDS frequently endure natural disasters that force them into a cycle of reactive emergency response. UNDP’s disaster risk reduction framework aims to shift the focus toward long-term resilience. The approach includes investing in early warning systems, embedding risk planning in development budgets, and deploying digital tools for real-time data and disaster management. Over the next decade, the goal is to harmonize climate and disaster resilience plans in at least 25 SIDS.

Energy is another linchpin of this transformation. SIDS are among the most energy-insecure regions, spending up to 18% of GDP on imported fossil fuels. UNDP plans to help these nations shift toward renewables by financing bankable energy projects, enhancing grid infrastructure, and building policymaking capacity. By 2030, six million people in 24 SIDS should gain access to clean energy, and nations with under 25% renewables in their power mix will receive support to reach that milestone.

On climate action, the stakes could not be higher. Although SIDS contribute less than 1% of global emissions, they bear the brunt of climate change impacts, from sea-level rise to intensified storms. Under the Climate Promise, UNDP supports 32 SIDS in refining and implementing their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The plan includes operationalizing the Loss and Damage Fund, boosting access to global climate finance, and promoting nature-based solutions. The third generation of NDCs is seen as the last chance to meaningfully integrate biodiversity and nature-focused approaches before 2030.

Harnessing Natural Capital and the Ocean Economy

Nature is not just part of SIDS’ identity, it is their survival. From mangroves and coral reefs to rich fisheries, these ecosystems are vital for food security, tourism, and climate defense. UNDP’s strategy scales up National Biodiversity Strategy Action Plans and introduces financing tools like Nature Performance Bonds. There is a strong focus on reversing biodiversity loss, supporting coastal resilience, and promoting inclusive governance that brings women, youth, and indigenous groups into natural resource decision-making.

Equally significant is the blue economy. SIDS control ocean territories more than 20 times the size of their landmass. UNDP’s “Blue Green Islands” programme seeks to convert this vast marine wealth into sustainable prosperity. By 2030, it aims to integrate blue economy strategies into national development plans of 30 SIDS, mobilize at least $100 million in new investments, and launch 30 real-world demonstration projects. Marine protected areas and sustainable ocean industries, like aquaculture and marine renewable energy, are at the heart of this initiative.

Investing in People: Health, Skills, and Gender Equality

Human capital is the final, but most transformative, frontier. SIDS face deep social inequalities, compounded by climate and economic pressures. UNDP is expanding Smart Health Facilities powered by renewable energy and targeting non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which account for 75% of deaths in some SIDS. The strategy links health with climate preparedness, pandemic resilience, and equitable governance.

Youth and women are central to UNDP’s vision. As youth comprise a fifth of the population, the strategy invests in 21st-century skills, including digital literacy, sustainable agriculture, and blue economy vocations, to increase employment and reduce migration. Women, especially in rural and indigenous communities, are prioritized for leadership training, access to finance, and inclusion in climate and biodiversity action. Through the Gender Equality Seal and the Spotlight Initiative, UNDP commits to dismantling the systemic barriers women face across SIDS.

Digital transformation is another cross-cutting theme, addressing both service delivery and innovation. From digitized public services and disaster diagnostics to data systems and AI-powered decision-making, the strategy aims to enhance governance and resilience through technology. UNDP will also scale up the use of its Accelerator Labs and the SIDS Data Platform to support evidence-based policy and track ABAS progress.

With an annual commitment of $466 million and a comprehensive, intersectional roadmap, the research is more than a development framework. It’s a declaration of solidarity with the island nations that have for too long been on the margins of global development, yet remain central to the planet’s ecological, cultural, and geopolitical future.