So we can have more tomorrow

Rekindling the bond between SIDS and the ocean

June 11, 2025
Rocky shoreline with calm water, mountains in the background, and clouds overhead.

A rock revetment protects valuable coastline in Mauritius.

Photo: UNDP Mauritius & Seychelles

Growing up on Rodrigues Island in Mauritius, I remember my late grandfather returning home with just enough fish to feed the family, not one more. He used to tell me, “Son, you need to leave some behind in the ocean if you want more tomorrow”. He understood the importance of planning for tomorrow, today, and that taking without reciprocity is not sustainable.

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) share a lasting relationship with the ocean. Islanders are deeply connected to the sea. Knowledge and sustainable environmental practices are passed down through generations.

From reciprocity to exploitation

Today it seems that what was once a relationship about reciprocity and respect, has become the ‘tragedy of the commons’ and a broken love story between the islanders and the sea.  

With limited landmasses, vast maritime zones, and heavy dependence on marine resources, these SIDS, or more appropriately Big Ocean States, face an existential threat with every adverse change in weather patterns, poorly managed natural resources and depletion of the ocean that feeds us.   

Coastal erosion and flooding, which are becoming more frequent and severe, are forcing islanders inland in search of higher ground away from the coast and the sea that has fed and nurtured generations. 

Coastal scene with cages on the beach, grass in the foreground, and a rocky hill in the background.

With limited landmasses, vast maritime zones, and heavy dependence on marine resources, islands such as Rodrigues face an existential threat from climate change.

Photo credit: UNDP Mauritius & Seychelles/Olivier Pasnin

Rising temperatures are also impacting core ecosystems, with coral reefs, already stressed by warming seas, dying. Intense rainfall causes flash floods and sediment runoff, smothering seagrass meadows in lagoons which provide critical natural defence against coastal erosion. 

This environmental and climatic degradation disrupts marine biodiversity and undermines the fisheries that sustain local diets and livelihoods. Tourism, a cornerstone of many SIDS economies, is also under threat. Ultimately, this cascade of impacts puts us all at risk as islanders. 

Eventually we will not have more tomorrow.

A path towards ocean reciprocity

Governments and policy makers are grappling with how to slow or prevent the impacts of climate change and the degradation and overexploitation of our ocean. To reduce coastal erosion soft measures, such as beach nourishment and planting endemic vegetation, can be effective. In some cases more substantial interventions, like rock revetments or community relocation, may be necessary. To mitigate against ecosystem degradation, coral restoration techniques are being developed and scaled up to restore major ecosystems in strategic locations. 

Underwater scene with coral growth on a mesh structure resting on the sandy ocean floor.

Coral restoration is underway in Seychelles.

Photo credit: UNDP Mauritius & Seychelles/Olivier Pasnin

But what we perhaps often ignore, is the wisdom of our elders. They understood that the ocean is not limitless and like any healthy relationship, it must be reciprocal and nurtured to remain in balance. Repairing the strained relationship with the sea is complex, but we must begin somewhere. One powerful way to rekindle this bond is through marine conservation by establishing or expanding Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). MPAs are sanctuaries where ecosystems can recover and rebuild, relatively undisturbed by human activity. 

The COVID-19 lockdown in Mauritius saw beaches closed as tourists stayed home. This resulted in reports of more sightings of turtles and even sharks in the lagoon. The presence of top predators like sharks is a strong indicator of a functioning and healthy ecosystem, it means the entire food web is intact.

MPAs work the same way. When we allow a carefully chosen area to rest and recover, nature reclaims its space. In doing so, we give the ocean the room to heal and provide, and in turn, to restore our love story with her. 

So we can have more, tomorrow.