Introduction
Islands are complex social-ecological systems, home to rich biodiversity, unique cultural heritage, and communities whose livelihoods are closely tied to land availability, land-sea interactions, and marine resources. They provide ecosystem services (ES) in a multitude of ways, from biodiversity conservation and land/marine resources to carbon storage, local climate regulation, natural/cultural heritage, and recreation. At the same time, islands are highly vulnerable to climate change, natural hazards, resource limitations, and socio-economic dependencies on external flows. In addition to climate and resource vulnerabilities, islands face mounting pressures from tourism and agriculture under development agendas. While these sectors can lead to biodiversity loss, land degradation, and ecosystem pressures, they also remain fundamental to local economies, supporting livelihoods, cultural practices, and economic well-being. These complex social-ecological conditions are not static, as islands are strongly shaped by temporal dynamics. Seasonality is an inherent attribute of islands, often neglected within ES research, yet determining pressures, demands, and available resources, for example, through peaks in tourism, agricultural cycles, and fluctuating water or energy needs, making islands susceptible to both short-term shocks and long-term changes.
Despite their importance, islands are often underrepresented in global and national assessments of ecosystem services and biodiversity. This risks the overlooking of island specificities in science and policy, leading to gaps in the implementation of international and global agendas such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, the European Green Deal, or the Sustainable Development Goals. Furthermore, the plurality of values, local identities and voices, and knowledge systems within islands is often neglected in ES assessments, reducing the potential for inclusive and just transitions.
This Working Group seeks to create visibility for island ecosystem services across scales and sectors contributing to the feeding of island-specific scientific knowledge into policy priorities. It will bring together experts from diverse disciplines and geographies to exchange ideas, share knowledge, and collaborate on advancing research and practice that address island-specific challenges and opportunities.
Lead Team
- Roxanne Suzette Lorilla, Harokopio University of Athens
- Evangelia G. Drakou, Harokopio University of Athens
Objectives
The objectives of this Working Group are to:
- Promote visibility of island ecosystem services in international science-policy interfaces by integrating island case studies and data into national, regional and global assessments.
- Advance methodologies for ES research and assessments that account for island specificities (e.g., scale issues, seasonality, isolation, coastal risks and vulnerability, data scarcity, and interregional flows).
- Foster inclusive practices by recognizing the plurality of values, local knowledge systems, and cultural identities in island contexts.
- Facilitate collaborations across islands worldwide (small, medium, large, island states, and overseas territories) to share transferable lessons and strengthen policy relevance.
- Address synergies and trade-offs between biodiversity conservation, ecosystem service provision, and key economic activities such as tourism and agriculture, recognizing both their pressures on nature and their essential role in sustaining local economies.
- Support transformative pathways that link ecosystem services with resilience, equity, and sustainability for island communities.
This Working Group will exchange ideas, share updates, develop collaborations, and initiate joint papers via the ESP discussion platform. The forum will allow members to pose open questions, identify common challenges, and co-design solutions across diverse island contexts.