Closing Statement
ISLA Project July 2004 – June 2008
 
For the past four years, ISLA has supported the sustainable development of small islands in North West Europe, enabled by the EU Interreg programme. The partnership itself and the investments carried out within the project proved to be crucial contributions to a sustainable development of the partner islands. With this closing statement, ISLA would like to provoke a wider understanding of these challenges and possibilities. It is an invitation to non islanders, politicians and decision makers to learn about the benefits of investing in island networkss and island communities.
 
Importance of a network
Island residents have strong feelings about being islanders. They acquire knowledge and inspiration from other islands, because they have many shared common challenges and opportunities. Through ISLA, islanders have a realisation that common solutions can be found. ISLA has delivered a wide range of strategies and all partners have used elements for their island’s specific situation. The project meetings strengthened the process of knowledge exchange and use of each other’s best practices in different fields. This reduces the risk of rigidness, or one-sidedness in the development of the islands.
 
In this process, islanders should be allowed to be ‘empowered’ to find their own solutions to their own particular problems. Forming transnational partnerships and approaching the EU for funding will strengthen this process. National and European authorities can see the benefits of stimulating, creating and supporting island networks.
 
Giving direction to investments
Governments should support an approach where relevant potential investments can be identified by islanders, their local agencies and other partners. As ISLA has demonstrated, this could include redundant buildings, niche marketing and development of sustainable energy amongst others. There are many other worthwile opportunities. The projects are transferable, interchangeable and highly relevant to other islands and even mainland situations.

One of the unexpected outcomes of ISLA is that adapting or renovating redundant buildings in extremely rural areas can act as a catalyst for social and economic development. Niche markets can also play an important role in local economies and are therefore essential for the sustainable development of islands in North West Europe. It has proved to be valuable to invest in redundant buildings and use external advisors to identify potential niche markets.
 
Furthermore, actual themes like climate neutral energy development are directly linked to the partners’ island situations. ISLA acknowledges that islands can be terrific laboratories for innovations with regard to sustainable energy supply, water supply and water treatment. Many islands are at the forefront of testing new technologies so registering the activities and networks could encourage synergy.
 
Islands and the communities who live on them provide examples of often quite sophisticated adaptations to difficult circumstances. As such, they offer opportunities and examples of sustainable living to which our urban communities might aspire. Our islands are places of inspiration and renewal from which many people can benefit.

This entry was posted on Monday, March 17th, 2008 at 2:47 pm and is filed under General News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.