Nidhi Nagabhatla, co-lead of SWG 5, together with her research group coordinated the study Institutional and Policy Analysis: Water Security and Disaster Management in Small Island Developing States.
The synthesis illustrates various drivers of coastal and marine ecosystems degradation while presenting critical aspects of policy and institutional analysis in the context of water security and disaster risk management (DRM) for the island nations. Local, national, and international regulatory frameworks analysed to examine gaps and needs in water management and preparedness for managing the impacts of disasters, in particular the SAMOA Pathway linked with integrated development planning and better implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda, particularly SDG 6. A smart strategy (Ten-Point Agenda) is proposed to transform the theoretical frameworks of water security into practical action plans.