This book is devoted to island sustainability with a focus on the small island economies in the Pacific, especially islands of Okinawa located at the southwestern edge of Japan. It examines socio-economic characteristics, development issues, policies, networking of island societies, and the roles of culture, human resources, agriculture and tourism in a globalizing world. Okinawa, the birthplace of nissology (island studies in Greek), embraces all aspects of small, remote island characteristics, including geography, history, economy and culture. Okinawa hosted the third and fourth Pacific Leaders Meeting (PALM). PALM adopted the Okinawa Initiative on Regional Development Strategies for a More Prosperous and Safer Pacific. This initiative emphasized the important role of Okinawa in spearheading and coordinating development and educational relationships among the Pacific islands. Although the focus is on Okinawa, analytical methods and visions presented in this book will provide food for thought for many similar island societies which have been struggling to achieve toward sustainable development. Since the International Small Island Studies Association (ISISA) held its first meeting on Island of Okinawa, Nissology has been emerging as an important area of scientific investigation. The book is intended to appeal to students, academic researchers, policy makers and industry professionals and practitioners.

Contains papers presented at the 1st International Conference on Island Sustainability organized on the Island of Brac, dealing with projects, initiatives and experiences related to different island issues. By using the experience of economically developed island environments, it is possible to learn how to ensure the development of other island communities, not only to prevent depopulation but to encourage new settlement. Those projects will serve as guidelines for other initiatives in less developed islands, adapting those experiences to specific regional, cultural and socio-economic characteristics.

Containing the papers presented at the second conference organised on island sustainability by the Wessex Institute of Technology, the book addresses the massive scale of seasonal population mobility that has such a profound effect on coastal regions and islands. The problems that result from large temporary increases in population are especially serious for islands and archipelagos, which have limited resources and possibilities of developing supporting infrastructures. Most islands cannot provide all the resources required by a large seasonal tourist population; in many cases basic requirements such as water and energy, as well as agricultural produce, must therefore be imported. Authorities need to carefully evaluate the impact of large seasonal population increases on the community and the resulting socio-economic factors, as well as issues related to transportation and communication, all of which should be part of an overall strategy.The topics covered include: Tourism Impact and Strategies, Community Issues, Changing Climate and Environment, Infrastructure, Transport Issues, Natural Resources, Energy Issues, Risk and Safety, Waste Management and Island Services.

Many of the world's islands are dependent on tourism as their main source of income. It is therefore imperative that these destinations are managed for long-term viability. The natural appeal of a destination is typically one of its main tourism related assets, yet the natural environment is also the feature most directly threatened by potential overexploitation. Sustainable Tourism in Island Destinations builds on existing literature in the subject by providing innovative discussions and practical management structures through the use of the authors' various island project work. An original feature is the focus on islands which are part of larger nations, rather than just on island sovereign states. Through an illustrated case study approach, the book focuses on the successes and challenges islands face in achieving sustainable tourism. The authors put forward innovative mechanisms such as multi-stakeholder partnerships and incentive-driven non-regulatory approaches as ways that the sustainability agenda can move forward in destinations that face specific challenges due to their geography and historic development. The case studies - from Canada, St Kitts, Honduras, China, Indonesia, Spain, Tanzania and Thailand - provide the foundation which suggests that alternative approaches to tourism development are possible if they retain sustainability as a priority.

This book provides comprehensive insight into the challenges faced by island tourism destinations and theoretical and practical paths for built in sustainability and resiliency. It explores Island Tourism Resilience within the context of ‘Lifecycles, System Decline and Resilience’. Tourism is a key activity for many islands, and some depend on the tourism sector as a main economic activity. An exploration of islands across the globe that addresses substantial matters of ongoing sustainability and resiliency is ever important. An array of challenges including natural disasters, climate change, economic and political crises among others has been addressed in the book, with additional areas such as overtourism and COVID-19 included at the conclusion. This volume is essential reading for academics, tourism planners and policy makers seeking to develop sustainable and resilient island destinations. With a new Foreword, Introduction, Conclusion and Afterword, the chapters in this book were originally published in the journal, Tourism Geographies.

The most difficult questions of sustainability are not about technology; they are about values. Answers to such questions cannot be found by asking the "experts," but can only be resolved in the political arena. In The Local Politics of Global Sustainability, author Thomas Prugh, with Robert Costanza and Herman Daly, two ofthe leading thinkers in the field of ecological economics, explore the kind of politics that can help enable us to achieve a sustainable world of our choice, rather than one imposed by external forces. The authors begin by considering the biophysical and economic dimensions of the environmental crisis, and tracing the crisis in political discourse and our public lives to its roots. They then offer an in-depth examination of the elements of a re-energized political system that could lead to the development of more sustainable communities. Based on a type of self-governance that political scientist Benjamin Barber calls "strong democracy," the politics is one of engagement rather than consignment, empowering citizens by directly involving them in community decisionmaking. After describing how it should work, the authors provide examples of communities that are experimenting with various features of strong democratic systems. The Local Politics of Global Sustainability explains in engaging, accessible prose the crucial biophysical, economic, and social issues involved with achieving sustainability. It offers a readable exploration of the political implications of ecological economics and will be an essential work for anyone involved in that field, as well as for students and scholars in environmental politics and policy, and anyone concerned with the theory and practical applications of the concept of sustainable development.

Designing for sustainability is an innovation shaping both the design industry and design education today.Yet architects, product designers, and other key professionals in this new field have so far lacked a resource that addresses their sensibilities and concerns. The Designer's Atlas of Sustainability now explores the basic principles, concepts, and practice of sustainable design in a visually sophisticated and engaging style. The book tackles not only the ecological aspects of sustainable design-designers' choice of materials and manufacturing processes have a tremendous impact on the natural world-but also the economic and cultural elements involved. The Atlas is neither a how-to manual nor collection of recipes for sustainable design, but a compendium of fresh approaches to sustainability that designers can incorporate into daily thinking and practice. Illuminating many facets of this exciting field, the book offers ideas on how to harmonize human and natural systems, and then explores practical options for making the business of design more supportive of long-term sustainability. An examination of the ethical dimensions of sustainable development in our public and private lives is the theme present throughout. Like other kinds of atlases, The Designer's Atlas of Sustainability illustrates its subject, but it goes far beyond its visual appeal, stimulating design solutions for "development that cultivates environmental and social conditions that will support human well-being indefinitely."