International actors as policymakers? Discussing the influence of international actors on the environmental policies of small island states

Abstract

The environmental discourse on small island states is structured around a set of geographical categories. Among these, the category of smallness reflects the assumption that such spaces are vulnerable on account of their reduced size, reinforcing an image of islands as ‘prone’ to environmental threats and in need of ‘external support’. Such support is often provided by international actors, specifically international agencies, NGOs and sponsors, who consequently influence domestic policymaking processes. This paper offers a theoretical discussion of this influence in relation to environmental policies, drawing on concepts from the fields of international studies, development studies and island studies. I argue that the influence of international actors may be viewed as a form of leadership that is legitimised by the narrative of island vulnerability, the development paradigm, the authority attributed to reports and rankings, the symbolic functioning of global environmental threats and the overuse of geographical categories such as ‘small’ or ‘developing’. In the second part of the paper, I propose four research questions for future studies on the political outputs of this influence in the Republic of Maldives: an icon of the environmental challenges threatening small island states.