Environmental Impact of Tourism and Air Transport on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States

765509PDFResearch PaperDeveloping countriesSustainable developmentSocioeconomic developmentTourismAir transportationEcotourismEnvironmental impactsCaribbeanOceaniaAbeyratne, Ruwantissa I. R.NTL-AVIATION-AVIATIONNTL-AVIATION-Airports and FacilitiesNTL-AVIATION-Aviation Economics and FinanceNTL-AVIATION-Aviation Planning and PolicyNTL-PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION-Social ImpactsNTL-ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT-Environment ImpactsNTL-ECONOMICS AND FINANCE-Economic ImpactsUS Transportation CollectionThe United Nations General Assembly recognized that many small island developing countries were confronted with compelling factors such as their smallness in size, susceptibility and vulnerability to natural disasters, remoteness of access and geographical dispersion. All of these factors worked to their detriment. The fragility of their ecosystems and constraints on transportation and communications created almost insurmountable distances between market centers and a highly limited internal market for these developing countries. This article will examine the various issues involved in the attempts made so far by the international community at achieving sustainable development of small island developing states and assess the role played by tourism and air transport in this regard. References, 12 p