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a v a i l a b l e a t w w w. s c i e n c e d i r e c t . c o m

w w w. e l s e v i e r. c o m / l o c a t e / e c o l e c o n

ANALYSIS

Sustainable development in small island developing states:

Agricultural intensification, economic development,
and freshwater resources management on the coral
atoll of Tongatapu

M. van der Veldea,⁎, S.R. Greenb , M. Vanclooster a , B.E. Clothier b

a
Departement of Environmental Sciences and Land Use Planning, Université catholique de Louvain-la-Neuve (UCL), Louvain-la-Neuve,
Belgium
b
HortResearch, PB 11030, Palmerston North, New Zealand

AR TIC LE I N FO ABS TR ACT

Article history: Small island developing states (SIDS) are vulnerable due to their small size in both bio-
Received 18 May 2005 physical and socio-economic senses. They are increasingly confronted with the
Received in revised form environmental consequences through utilisation of their fragile natural resources for
22 March 2006 economic development. Here we illustrate the dilemmas experienced by SIDS associated
Accepted 27 March 2006 with sustainable economic development. Our focus is the main island of the Kingdom of
Available online 9 May 2006 Tonga, Tongatapu, located in the South Pacific Ocean. We analyse the intensification of
agriculture and the attendant pressures on the islands freshwater resources. We combine
Keywords: environmental and economic data. Tongatapu (256 km2) is a raised coral atoll and the
Kingdom of Tonga freshwater resources exist as lenses that float on top of denser salt water underneath the
Sustainable development island. Since 1987 Tonga has exported squash pumpkin solely to Japan. Over the last 10 years,
SIDS these exports have accounted for more then 40% of total export earnings, and represent 60%
Water management to 70% of GDP derived from agricultural export. This increase in exports is matched by an
Agriculture abrupt increase in the import and usage of agricultural chemicals. The island's freshwater
lenses are increasingly under pressure from agricultural intensification. In the economic
decision process, environmental impacts are not taken into account. This is partly because of
overlapping institutional responsibilities of water management, and opaque institutional
structures which are highlighted in the paper. The environmental consequences
experienced by SIDS in terms of primary production stresses the need of taking natural
capital into account when the benefits from international trade are evaluated. At the same
time pollution will result in irrecoverable losses in terms of tourist potential. Improved
agricultural practices have to be implemented through educational tools to ensure
continuing economic prosperity derived from agricultural exports. Economic development
of SIDS should also focus on the maintenance of kin relationships overseas, securing rent
incomes and regional cooperative development efforts.
© 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

⁎ Corresponding author. Tel.: +32 10 47 3783; fax: +32 10 47 3833.

E-mail address: vandervelde@geru.ucl.ac.be (M. van der Velde).

0921-8009/$ - see front matter © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2006.03.017