Solar brings power to women entrepreneurs in Borneo
| | KUTAI KARTANEGARA, Indonesia, 14 May 2026 (Mongabay) - In the village of Muara Enggelam, East Kalimantan province, the arrival of affordable and reliable renewable energy has sparked a flurry of new businesses, some started by women who were previously unable to fulfil their economic ambitions. The remote village in Indonesian Borneo received its first installation of solar energy in 2015 following an allocation from Indonesia’s energy ministry. The electricity capacity remains limited, but households have been able to start small businesses selling food and drinks, while mobile internet has expanded market access via social media platforms. |
Seabed life triples after bottom trawling ban in Scottish MPA
| | EXETER, UK, 14 May 2026 (Mongabay) - Nearly a decade since Scotland established the South Arran Marine Protected Area and banned bottom trawling across much of it, life on the seafloor has thrived, a new study has found. Scientists surveying the area found three times more seabed organisms and twice as many species compared to nearby unprotected waters. |
The GEF, leads global drive to tackle shipping threat to oceans
| | MAFIA ISLAND, Tanzania, 14 May 2026 (IPS) - Under the warm waters off Tanzania’s Mafia Island, marine scientist Asha Mgeni hovers above a coral reef she has studied for years. Small fish dart through the currents. To most divers, the reef appears pristine. But Mgeni notices something unusual. Tucked between coral branches are invasive organisms disrupting the reef’s natural growth and species, which were not there before, she says. |
Cuba has run out of diesel and oil
| | LONDON, UK, 14 May 2026 (BBC) - Cuba has completely run out of diesel and fuel oil, the country's Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy has said. The US this week reiterated its offer of sending $100m in aid to the country in exchange for "meaningful reforms to Cuba's communist system". |
French Polynesia continues its commitment to waste reduction
| | APIA, Samoa, 13 May 2026 (SPREP) - The Municipality of Moorea-Maiao has taken an important step forward in its transition towards more sustainable waste management with the official launch of its resource recovery project (“ressourcerie”). Dedicated to reuse, repair and the recovery of reusable items, this initiative represents a concrete step towards a more sustainable model better suited to the island context. |
Communities revive customary systems to protect the seas
| | JAKARTA, Indonesia, 13 May 2026 (Mongabay) - On small islands across eastern Indonesia, coastal communities are reviving customary rules, seasonal fishing closures, turtle protection and mangrove stewardship to protect marine ecosystems threatened by blast fishing, turtle hunting and habitat loss. |
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CIS |
 | | Critical Island Studies 4th international conference 3-4 Oct, 2024, Manila, Philippines |
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CBD |
| | COP16 21 Oct-1 Nov, 2024, Cali, Colombia |
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UNFCCC |
| | COP29 11-22 November, 2024, Baku, Azerbaijan |
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ISLAND DYNAMICS |
| | DARKNESS II conference, 20-23 January 2025, Nuuk, Greenland |
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JICAS |
| | Islands And Island Studies conference 3-7 June, 2025, Jersey, Channel Islands |
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UNITED NATIONS |
| | UN Ocean Conference 9-13 June, 2025, Nice, France |
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UPEI |
| | 3rd international conference on SIS and SNIJs 16-20 June, 2025, Charlottetown, PEI |
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GSIS |
| | Global Sustainable Islands Summit 20-22 April, 2026, Gran Canaria, Spain |
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SICRI |
| | Island Studies International Conference 25-28 June, 2026, Tacloban City, Leyte Islands, Philippines |
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ISISA |
| | 20th Islands of the World Conference 7-11 July 2026, Shinan County, Jeollanam-do, South Korea |
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SPREP |
| | 11th Pacific Islands Conference for Nature Conservation and Protected Areas, 7–11 September 2026, Noumea, New Caledonia |
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ANATOMY OF ISLANDS |
| | 14th Anatomy of Islands symposium 15-17 Oct, 2026, Jelsa, Hvar Island, Croatia |
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IWRA |
| | 2nd Islands Water Congress 9-11 Dec, 2026, Montego Bay, Jamaica |
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