BIOS helps advance resilience partnerships for small islands

ASU BIOS, Pacific RISA expand partnership to strengthen climate resilience in small island developing states

Small island developing states are on the frontlines of the climate crisis, confronting intensifying storms, sea level rise, coastal erosion and other overlapping threats that jeopardize lives, livelihoods and sovereignty. Nearly 74 million people live in small island developing states, stewarding about one-quarter of the world’s coastal ocean environments while remaining among the most exposed to climate-driven hazards.

To help address those risks, Arizona State University’s Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences and Pacific Research on Island Solutions for Adaptation, or Pacific RISA, are expanding a cross-regional partnership aimed at strengthening climate resilience in island communities across the Pacific and the Atlantic-Caribbean.

The collaboration recently participated in the inaugural Small Island Developing States Science Initiative (SIDSCI) workshop in Miami, bringing together researchers and practitioners to identify shared research priorities and opportunities for coordinated action. Organizers said the workshop was designed to better connect island realities with global policy discussions through regionally grounded, policy-relevant science.

“Small islands have a meaningful impact on the science and policy discourse about climate change, despite having less capacity and resources than larger or more developed jurisdictions,” said Mark Guishard, chief operating officer of ASU BIOS and a professor of practice in Arizona State University’s School of Ocean Futures.

Guishard, one of the leads of the partnership, co-facilitated discussions focused on identifying critical research gaps related to climate risks in small island developing states. Participants examined how to better align scientific research with community needs, improve coordination across regions and ensure island voices are reflected in international climate processes.

Strengthening the Islands Resilience Network

The expanding collaboration is part of a broader effort to deepen engagement with island communities through the emerging Islands Resilience Network. The initiative seeks to strengthen community resilience by improving access to climate and ocean data, enhancing forecasting and early warning tools, expanding local research capacity, and co-developing practical adaptation strategies with decision-makers.

ASU BIOS, based in Bermuda, brings decades of oceanographic research and maintains some of the longest-running ocean observation records in the world. Pacific RISA, a NOAA-funded climate adaptation partnership based in Hawai'i and led by ASU, works directly with communities and governments across the Pacific to support climate-informed planning and decision-making.

 

By combining Atlantic and Pacific expertise, leaders say the partnership is positioned to scale climate services and applied research across multiple island jurisdictions. The goal is to ensure that scientific insights translate into actionable strategies that reflect local priorities and cultural contexts.

Laura Brewington and Victoria Keener, co-directors of Pacific RISA and research professors in ASU’s Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation, are working closely with Guishard to guide the initiative. Together, the teams are exploring new opportunities to align research investments, expand training and workforce development, and strengthen regional-to-global connections.

Rooted in ASU’s Global Futures Laboratory

The collaboration is anchored within the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at ASU, which supports interdisciplinary efforts to address complex environmental and sustainability challenges. Leaders say the shared institutional foundation enables stronger integration of science, policy engagement and community partnership.

As climate impacts accelerate, small island developing states continue to advocate for greater recognition of their vulnerabilities and leadership in global climate negotiations. Organizers of the Miami workshop said sustained collaboration across island regions will be essential to advancing equitable, science-based solutions.

With plans to expand engagement in both the Pacific and Atlantic-Caribbean regions, ASU BIOS and Pacific RISA aim to grow the Islands Resilience Network into a global platform that connects research, policy and community action.

By strengthening cross-island partnerships and elevating island-led solutions, the initiative seeks to ensure that small island developing states not only respond to climate risks but also help shape the global resilience agenda.