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Sustainable development is often stated as an objective of management strategies for small islands. However, relatively little work has explicitly considered what sustainable development means in the context of small islands. This article explores the nature of the development process on small islands and considers this in the context of different interpretations of sustainable development. A case study of the Galapagos is presented which considers the drivers and threats to development in these islands. The case study helps illustrate some of the multiple interpretations of sustainable development that are possible in a small island context.

The purpose of this paper is to consider the meaning of Sustainable Development in the context of small islands. To help answer this question some key interpretations of the sustainable development problem shall be considered in the context of island issues and the development pathways open to islands. A case study of the Galapagos Islands is presented including the results of a recent tourism study there. The case study is used to illustrate several points raised in the discussion.

The recent colonization of the Galapagos is not typical of many islands. However, in many other respects (limited resources, specialization, etc.) the Galapagos are typical. So does the Galapagos represent an example of sustainable development or not? The answer to this question depends very much upon one's perspective. One can sustain an argument that the drivers of economic well being in the Galapagos are features of global unsustainability. Furthermore, experience from other islands suggests that the development bubble will burst. Various uncontrollable exogenous threats may extinguish the relative advantages currently enjoyed by the Galapagos. It could therefore be argued that current development in the islands may be unsustainable in terms of its longevity. On the other hand, at the purely local level much of what is being done in the Galapagos could be said to represent sustainable development. The increased autonomy granted by the SLG has resulted in many measures that fit with a strong interpretation of the CS model (the control of tourism development, attempts to eradicate introduced species, control of immigration, etc.). The use of participatory management as part of the Islands’ management regime is also consistent with process-orientated approaches to sustainable development. Like many islands, the economic well being of the Galapagos is dependent on trade in an increasingly globalized market. At the same time there is an ongoing process of increasing local autonomy. The SLG has increased local control of resources. Arguably, this local control is against the interests of many citizens of mainland Ecuador now denied access to the Islands’ resources. The drive for protection of the Galapagos comes from international recognition of their ecological significance, which has created a favorable scenario for the islanders. Models of sustainable development may have something to offer islands in terms of the internal management of resources. However, CS models assume a level of control and stability that may simply not exist on many islands. Islands have very limited control over exogenous threats or the economic drivers of development. The case study illustrates the complexity of sustainability in an Island context. The intriguing paradox that some islands may be managing local resources sustainably, while exploiting unsustainable patterns of global consumption, deserves further investigation.