University of Malta. Islands and Small States Institute
Abstract
The environmental discourse on small island states is structured around a set of
geographical categories. Among these, the category of smallness reflects the assumption that
such spaces are vulnerable on account of their reduced size, reinforcing an image of islands
as ‘prone’ to environmental threats and in need of ‘external support’. Such support is often
provided by international actors, specifically international agencies, NGOs and sponsors, who
consequently influence domestic policymaking processes. This paper offers a theoretical
discussion of this influence in relation to environmental policies, drawing on concepts from
the fields of international studies, development studies and island studies. I argue that the
influence of international actors may be viewed as a form of leadership that is legitimised by
the narrative of island vulnerability, the development paradigm, the authority attributed to
reports and rankings, the symbolic functioning of global environmental threats and the overuse
of geographical categories such as ‘small’ or ‘developing’. In the second part of the
paper, I propose four research questions for future studies on the political outputs of this
influence in the Republic of Maldives: an icon of the environmental challenges threatening
small island states.peer-reviewe
