The environmental problems of small island developing States are closely related to issues that pertain to the sustainable use of natural resources and the environmentally sound management of wastes. The unique social, economic and environmental characteristics of small island developing States, such as high population density, limited availability of land space and the lack of human and financial resources, reduce the choice of appropriate options for sound management of waste. Furthermore, tourists produce large amounts of wastes, especially during the peak tourism period, compounding the difficulty of small island developing States' authorities to manage waste with their limited capacities. The Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States stressed the urgent need to develop local strategies and capabilities for the implementation of sustainable waste management within the context of sustainable development. So far, however, there have been few attempts to develop an integrated and comprehensive approach to waste management strategies.

In many cities of small island developing States, the lack of adequate treatment of solid wastes, including industrial wastes, remains one of the major problems to be solved. Waste separation and recycling is still in its early stages in many small island developing States, though some attempts have been made to reduce the amounts of wastes generated. Programmes have not often been implemented due to the lack of capabilities for technical analysis/assessment, planning, financing and public support. In the field of waste separation at source, upon which the promotion of recycling should largely depend, there have been a few systematic activities in small island developing States, related to the recycling of cans or separation of organic material for composting. Recycling is an effective process but in the urban areas of many small island developing States, it is not economically viable.

Problem in handling industrial and hazardous wastes is that in most cases, there are no proper facilities for their storage and disposal in small island developing States. A large proportion of industrial and hazardous wastes is often disposed of in the municipal solid waste stream or even dumped without any control, although this may be prohibited by law. Leakages are quite common.

The sources of industrial wastes in small island developing States are mainly fish processing, manufacturing processes, mining, quarrying and agro-industry, such as sugar and rum production. In a number of small island developing States, oil refining and petrochemical production also generate industrial wastes. Industries are often situated in areas close to coasts or water bodies, and solid and liquid wastes are directly discharged into them normally with very little if any pretreatment. Probably due to the lack of technological capabilities, end-of-pipe solutions rather than reduction of waste generation are seen as the major option to control pollution resulting from wastes. Major components of hazardous wastes generated in small island developing States are chemicals, including agrochemicals, heavy metals and medical wastes. These are usually incinerated with insufficient emission control equipments, buried at source, or more often disposed of in dump sites without proper control systems. Many small island developing States have still not ratified the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal.

Solid and liquid wastes generated by ships and cruise vessels and the resulting pollution are of considerable concern to small island developing States. There is almost an entire lack of port reception facilities for accepting ship-borne wastes or for avoiding oil spills in ports. A few international and regional initiatives have been taken to protect ports from such wastes, but much remains to be done for the protection of the marine environment.E. Status of related strategies, including legislation and financing10. Because of the lack of legal and regulatory frameworks for waste management, small island developing States often rely on non-specific legislation, such as public health acts. Enforcement, moreover, is poor because of the limited number of trained officers, cultural and social difficulties, and insufficient institutional arrangements. Waste management departments are generally low-priority establishments within local governments. Strategic planning on waste management has been carried out in many small island developing States for various sectors. However, implementation remains generally inadequate. Efforts at public awareness-raising have been made in almost all small island developing States through formal or informal systems. Their impact, particularly on younger people, has been positive and should facilitate further implementation of scientific waste management in the future.

Suitable financial planning for the complete cycle of waste management has not been well developed in most small island developing States, resulting in severely underfunded operations, shortage of proper facilities and trained operators. One of the most disturbing problems is the lack of financial autonomy. Where waste management departments are self-financing, the revenue generated is often used for other purposes. Tools for mobilizing financial resources, such as government budgetary allocations, charge systems and other relevant economic instruments, have yet to be developed and included as core elements of financial strategies. Information on waste management and related technologies suitable for small island developing States are still difficult to access, although numerous reports on various aspects of waste management have been published.