Article Details
  • Published Online:
    January  2025
  • Product Name:
    The IUP Journal of Law Review
  • Product Type:
    Article
  • Product Code:
    IJLR010125
  • DOI:
    10.71329/IUPLR/2025.15.1.5-26
  • Author Name:
    Sheik Inam Ul Mansoor
  • Availability:
    YES
  • Subject/Domain:
    Law
  • Download Format:
    PDF
  • Pages:
    5-26
Volume 15, Issue 1, January 2025
Climate Change, Carbon Emissions, and Legal Vulnerability: The Case of Small Island States
Abstract

The study draws attention to how small island states are affected by emissions from developed countries, and the associated climate change phenomena such as sea level rise, extreme climate events, and deterioration of ecosystems. While producing a negligible percentage of total greenhouse gas emissions, these island states suffer especially devastating effects of climate change. The study also highlights the need for finding ways to enunciate sound norms of international law and promote ideas of environmental justice to eradicate such iniquities. Taking stock of multiple impacts, the study addresses weaknesses in the protective infrastructure together with issues such as fresh water supply, food production, and socioeconomic resilience. It examines numerous cases of postcolonial nations such as Maldives, Kiribati, the Bahamas, and Tuvalu and shows the types of difficulties faced by them. Resilience strategies, regional cooperation, and community-based adaptation are stressed to withstand climate impacts. The paper also emphasizes the importance of international parliamentary cooperation in this regard.

Introduction

Global warming is perhaps the greatest danger to the world’s biological balance and has a potentially destabilizing impact on the earth’s physical environment, economy, and polity.