
Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI)
About the project
RESI is a global advisory network based at ODI, working with Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and their partners to frame policy problems, influence international institutions and find solutions to growing sustainability challenges in small islands. RESI aims to improve the conditions under which SIDS can achieve financial sustainability, environmental justice, international alliances and equitable societies.
International Development Committee evidence on UK Small Island Developing States Strategy
RESI Director Emily Wilkinson gave evidence on the UK Small Island Developing States (SIDS) strategy at the House of Commons' International Development Committee.
Emily talks about the UK's good diplomatic work to support small islands, including the strategy's alignment with climate justice, but highlights that funding hasn't yet met the scale of the challenge in scope or speed. At this critical time, the UK and fellow donor nations could accelerate efforts to avert climate catastrophe in small islands.
To watch the full session, visit the link to parliamentlive.tv below. Emily's evidence begins at 14:33.


A global bargain for resilient prosperity in Small Island Developing States
New data: Resilience finance flows to Small Island Developing States
The new dashboard, created by RESI as a supplement to the report A fair share of resilience finance, quantifies finance flows to Small Island Developing States over a seven-year period (2013-2020).

The RESI Team
RESI Directors
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Emily Wilkinson
Senior Research Fellow and Director, Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative
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Courtney Lindsay
Senior Research Officer
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George Carter
Research Fellow in Geopolitics and Regionalism at the Department of Pacific Affairs at the Australian National University
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Michelle Scobie
Senior lecturer and researcher, Institute of International Relations at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine
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Jack Corbett
Professor and Head of the School of Social Sciences at Monash University, Australia
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Rachid Bouhia
Economic Affairs Officer, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
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Matthew Bishop
Senior lecturer in International Politics at the University of Sheffield
RESI Affiliates
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Neil Allan
Environmental justice
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Bateteba Aselu
Environmental justice, Equitable societies
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Adam Baird
Equitable societies
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Pepukaye Bardouille
Financial stability, Environmental justice, Equitable societies
Insights on Small Island Developing States
In this series of Insights, RESI Directors examine the particular challenges facing Small Island Developing States. They highlight opportunities for creating more favourable international conditions for their resilience and sustainable development
RESI Publications
A fair share of resilience finance for Small Island Developing States
Until now, it was unclear how much and which types of climate and development finance were being allocated to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to build resilience. This paper provides clear evidence of the gap between vulnerability and allocation of finance.

RESI Podcasts
Small Islands Big Picture
“Small Islands, Big Picture” is a new podcast from ODI and the Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI), which shines a spotlight on the unique challenges and remarkable resilience of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) around the world. It is hosted by RESI Directors Emily Wilkinson and Matthew Bishop.

Think Change episode 14: climate loss and damage – who should pay?
This episode explores why loss and damage is a key focus of COP27 negotiations through the perspective of Small Island Developing States.

Caribbean Comeback
How Caribbean countries are recovering from hurricanes and volcanic crises, adapting to climate change, and producing lessons for Covid-19 recovery around the world.
This podcast is hosted by Jamaican journalist Paula-Anne Porter Jones, in conversation with co-directors of the Caribbean Resilience and Recovery Knowledge Network (CRRKN) Emily Wilkinson from ODI, and Donovan Campbell from The University of the West Indies.

RESI Events
Watch now: Climate justice and the role of international law
In November 2022, Vanuatu published a draft UN resolution requesting an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on states’ legal obligation for climate action, and the consequences of causing harm. While ICJ, which is the UN’s main judiciary arm, has no binding authority, it could strengthen vulnerable countries’ position in international negotiations.
This online event, hosted in February 2023 by RESI, brought legal, human rights, climate change and international development specialists together to discuss this and other multilateral initiatives, as well as lessons from national climate litigation. The Spanish version is available here.

Small island nations call for deep reform of climate finance
The Covid-19 pandemic and its economic fallout have been disastrous for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), which were already highly vulnerable to climate change and other shocks and stresses. A policy roundtable at ODI on 28 July 2021, convened by Courtenay Rattray, High Representative, UNOHRLLS, and Dr Emily Wilkinson, Senior Research Fellow, ODI, examined SIDS’ special case for finance and debt relief – and highlighted specific action areas that international donors and financial institutions could take to support SIDS, on the road to COP26 in Glasgow and beyond.

The negotiators' perspectives: charting new paths for climate and trade
At this online event, climate and trade negotiators discussed what’s on the negotiating table at COP26, the trade related implications and how development friendly outcomes can be secured.

RESI In the media
Why a chain of tiny Pacific islands wants an international court opinion on responsibility for the climate crisis
Vanuatu and its partners are pursuing a ground-breaking diplomatic strategy and others will likely follow.

The Caribbean must think carefully about how and where to ‘build back better’ after the hurricanes of 2017
"Building back better” to create more resilient societies is a laudable goal, but every country is different and there are no quick fixes.
Opinion: To finance resilience in small states, governments and development partners must take some risks
After Hurricane Maria swept through Dominica in 2017, causing extensive damage to crops, livestock, and 90% of homes, and generating losses of 226% of its gross domestic product — this island of some 70,000 people set out a bold vision to become the world’s first climate-resilient nation