Definition and Characteristic Small Island

II. LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1. Small Island

2.1.1. Definition and Characteristic

Definition of an island is a naturally area of land, surrounded by water which is above water at high tide. Small island is island that has small size, ecologically separated from main island and has fixed border. Small islands are unique and intensively individual and often requiring special management skills. According to Ministry of Marine and Fisheries Affair Doc. No. 412000, definition and characteristic of a small island are: a. Island that has area equal or less than 10,000 km 2 and total citizen less than or equal 200,000 people. b. Ecologically separated from mainland and has a clear physical border. c. Has specific flora and fauna d. Little catchments area where almost all of water’s surface and sediment directly go to the sea. e. Local community has specific social, culture and economic value and activities. Small islands have all the environmental problems and challenges of the coastal zone concentrated in a limited land area. They are considered extremely vulnerable to global warming and sea level rise, with certain small low-lying islands facing the increasing threat of the loss of their entire national territories. Most tropical islands are also now experiencing the more immediate impacts of increasing frequency of cyclones, storms and hurricanes associated with climate change. These are causing major setbacks to their socio-economic development. Because small island development options are limited, there are special challenges to planning for and implementing sustainable development. Information on the geographic, environmental, cultural and socio-economic characteristics of islands should be compiled and assessed to assist in the planning process. Existing island databases should be expanded and geographic information systems developed and adapted to suit the special characteristics of islands UNEP, 2004. Several characteristics of small islands that can be obstacles to develop small islands are Dahuri, 1998: a. Size of area is small and isolate from other island, expensive in infrastructures and seldom in educated human resources. b. Difficult to reach an optimal economic in part of production, transportation and administration. c. Sometimes specific local culture in conflict with the development activity of small islands Government Regulation No. 782005 is a new order for management of 92 bordered small islands in Indonesia and Ndana Island is one of them. It is written in the regulation that bordered small island is island with area equal or less than 2,000 km 2 which has boundary point of Indonesia territory based on National and International Laws. The aims of bordered small island management are as national security, to use natural resources with sustainable development and to increase income of local people.

2.1.2. Potencies of Small Island