Troost

The Environment and Development in Coastal Regions and Small Islands (CSI) platform for intersectoral action was initiated in 1996 to contribute to environmentally sustainable, socially equitable, culturally respectful and economically viable development. The following three complementary and mutually reinforcing modalities have been adopted:

	1.	Field-based pilot projects, which provide a framework for collaborative action on the ground.
	2.	UNESCO Chairs and University Twinning (UNITWIN) arrangements, which support and enhance the field project activities through training, capacity building and awareness raising.
	3.	A multi-lingual, Internet-based forum on ‘Wise Coastal Practices for Sustainable Human Development’ (username csi, password wise).

Today 23 field projects are in operation worldwide. Three university chairs have been formally established, and others are being set into place. The Internet-based discussion forum, which now includes some 6,500 participants from around the world, representing a wide range of domains, has developed a series of 55 example wise practices which guide sustainable development action on the ground. Through continuing interactions between field projects, university chairs/twinning and the internet-based discussion forum (see figure 1), the CSI initiative will continue to develop tested wise practices addressing priority coastal and small-island concerns. These practices will provide guidance as to ‘what can wisely be done under the prevailing circumstances’. They will also contribute to the improvement of: (a) interaction between local-global levels, (b) harmonisation between top-down and bottom-up approaches, (c) integration among institutional domains, and (d) complementarity between societal sectors. (see figure 2).

1.	Build up and implement wise coastal practices for sustainable human development
	l	addressing priority concerns: e.g. coastal urbanization, biodiversity loss, erosion
	l	enhancing
		o	effective interaction between local and global levels
		o	harmonization between top-down and bottom-up approaches
		o	complementarity among societal sectors
	l	through
		o	intersectoral field projects
		o	interdisciplinary university chairs
		o	multi-lingual Internet-based forum
2.	Provide support to the priority problem areas identified in the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
	l	adapting to climate change and rising sea levels
	l	improving preparedness for and recovery from natural & environmental disasters
	l	preventing worsening shortages of freshwater as demand grows
	l	protecting coastal ecosystems from pollution and over-fishing
	l	developing solar and renewable energy to lessen dependence on imported oil
	l	managing tourism growth to protect environment and cultural integrity

1.	Local and indigenous knowledge systems in a global society (LINKS) ‘Traditional’ knowledge is a key resource for sustainable development that empowers local and indigenous communities in their struggle against marginalisation and impoverishment. Focal areas for action through intersectoral field projects include:
	l	strengthening dialogue between elders and youth to revitalise local & indigenous knowledge transmission
	l	reinforcing synergies between science and local knowledge in natural resource conservation and governance
	l	identifying novel strategies to protect this intangible cultural heritage from improper appropriation
2.	Small Islands Voice
	Small Islands Voice seeks to overcome the isolation of small islands by building capacity and strengthening local, regional and inter-regional communication, by:
	l	obtaining islanders’ views on environment and development issues
	l	encouraging young islanders to discuss environment and development issues among themselves
	l	debating these views regionally and globally through Internet-based discussions
	l	identifying key issues and
		o	channelling them back to the local level for action on the ground
		o	forwarding these views to the review of the ‘Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States’ in 2004.

“The world’s small island developing states are front-line zones where, in concentrated form, many of the main problems of environment and development are unfolding. As such, they are the big tests for the commitments made at the 1992 World Summit” - United Nations Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, at 'Barbados +5', September 1999

Interactive modalities for wise practices

	FIELD AND SIMILAR PROJECTS Intersectoral action on the ground Building blocks of the wise practices initiative Testing ground for wise practices Training and capacity building



FORUM Crossroads for transfer and exchange of wise practices Critical review of wise practices Source of new ideas Storage of information		UNIVERSITY CHAIRS Interdisciplinary education Provision of support to the field projects Critical review and analysis of wise practices Linkages with other institutions

Start		Introduction		Activities	Publications	Search
		Wise Practices	Regions		Themes