Book Launch
Atoll Island States and International Law
Climate Change Displacement and Sovereignty

Miguel Esteban
Associate Professor, The University of Tokyo

Lilian Yamamoto
Research Fellow, Ocean Policy Research Foundation

Event Description
Event language: English

Book launch for Atoll Island States and International Law: Climate Change Displacement and Sovereignty (Springer 2014)

Atoll Island States exist on top of what is perceived to be one of the planet's most vulnerable ecosystems: atolls. It has been predicted that an increase in the pace of sea-level rise brought about by increasing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere will cause them to disappear, forcing their inhabitants to migrate. This seminar will focus on a multidisciplinary legal and engineering perspective on this problem, challenging some common misconceptions regarding atolls and their vulnerability to sea-level rise - the topic of the recently published book by the presenters. In fact, the survival of the islands is not threatened by sea-level rise itself, but the death of the coral reefs. Though it could theoretically be possible for the richer Atoll Island States to engineer ways to prevent their main islands from disappearing, sadly not all will have the required financial resources to do so.

As islands become progressively uninhabitable, their residents will be forced to settle in foreign lands, and hence discussions on practical legal solutions for the protection of the displaced people, and the possibility of acquiring small new territories, should be explored. This would make it possible for Atoll Island States in the future to keep some sort of international sovereign personality, which could benefit the descendents of their present day inhabitants.

Programme

14:00 - 14:05 Opening Remarks
Jose A. Puppim de Oliveira (UNU-IAS)

14:05 - 14:45 Lectures
1) Common misconceptions about the vulnerability of Atoll Island States to sea level rise: The importance of coral reefs
Miguel Esteban (Project Associate Professor, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo)
2) Sovereignty and climate change displacement in Atoll Island States
Lilian Yamamoto (Research Fellow, Ocean Policy Research Foundation)

14:45 - 15:30 Discussion

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UNU-IAS
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