Time for the great island revival

Thanks for reading the Island Innovation newsletter! If you were forwarded this email or accessed it through a link, don’t forget to subscribe here and stay up to date on the latest sustainability news from islands and remote regions around the world.
island revival
Table of Contents
Share This Post

Thanks for reading the Island Innovation newsletter! If you were forwarded this email or accessed it through a link, don’t forget to subscribe here and stay up to date on the latest sustainability news from islands and remote regions around the world.

From the “Just Enough Room Island” in New York to the world’s largest island, Greenland, there are uncountable inhabited islands spanning the earth in various sizes. For many, population decline or even depopulation is becoming a serious worry.

Today, an important question is: why is the number of people in these islands dwindling and what can be done to reverse it? Keeping island communities prosperous can be a vital part of national character and preserving unique cultures. However, not everywhere sees the importance with some governments continuing to encourage inhabitants of small island communities to abandon them and relocate to cities.

While there are disincentives pushing small island settlers away and preventing people from moving into these islands, some communities are already changing the narrative. Off the west coast of County Donegal in Ireland, Arranmore has written open letters to encourage people from other countries to move to the island. To achieve this aim, Arranmore has installed high-speed communication networks to provide advanced internet connectivity and is becoming a digital hub to serve as a co-working space for startups and freelancers.

In Scotland, Ulva and Eigg are tackling population reduction problem in a different way. These two islands have decentralized land ownership and making housing more accessible for their ‘citizens’ in order to give incentives to remain. These land reforms redistributing land back to local people and empowering them to make real change in their communities. With support from the Scottish Government-funded SEFARI Responsive Opportunity Initiative, the Islands Revival project is collecting stories of population turnaround in order to raise the profile of demographic recovery in island settings and to identify ways of ensuring that such developments are supported by island policy. These contributions will facilitate discussion between communities, local and Scottish Government, island businesses and international experts, culminating with recommendations regarding how public policy can best support island repopulation.

One possible way, as seen in Arranmore, is investment in modern communications infrastructure. By using digital technology to redefine what it means to work or live as a community, island communities around the world could develop virtual working environments that provide opportunities for local people, as well as attracting potential immigrants to find new homes and working environments.

 

READ THE FULL NEWSLETTER

About the Author
Island Innovation

Island Innovation facilitate connections between island stakeholders and sustainable development practitioners across the globe to share knowledge and promote collaboration.  By creating a support network, we smooth the way for developing innovative solutions to drive economic performance, ensure political stability and promote good governance, which improves the social and environmental conditions within island communities.

Thank you for subscribing!
22-23 May 2024 | Prince Edward Island, Canada

Global Sustainable Islands Summit 2024

Prepare to immerse yourself in this landmark event for the
global island community in 2024!
Live from COP28 - Island of Hope
The Island Innovation Agency Newsletter is a must-read for sustainable business leaders! It delivers a free monthly dose of relevant and valuable business insights, expert advice, downloadable resources, and easy-to-implement ideas for professionals aiming to optimize their results in communication, branding, and networking. By signing up, you will benefit from curated insights for your sustainable brand, exclusive offers, ready-to-use templates and industry news.
Our newsletter on island sustainability is perfect for everyone interested in sustainable development, innovation, and island territories! Every week we compile stories from islands worldwide and highlight commonalities, demonstrating the spectrum of innovation from technology to the arts. Our newsletter brings together globally disparate places and strikes a balance of acknowledging and dealing with critical problems while emphasizing the resourcefulness of isolated communities.