By definition, an island is a piece of land surrounded by water and characterised by a physical \u2018disconnection\u2019 from the mainland. It is widely recognised that many of the challenges they face are due to permanent conditionalities, such as the dependence on maritime and air transport, with influence on the socio-economy and the environment alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Article 174 of the European Treaty<\/strong> (TFEU<\/a>) has recognised that many of the European islands are suffering from structural handicaps, leading to limited economic activity due to their small size, population reduction, and landscape degradation. European islands serve as vital centres of biological and cultural diversity. However, compared to mainland regions, they are particularly vulnerable to climate change, rapid tourism development, unregulated land-use changes, and economic instability. These pressures have increasingly resulted in significant adverse impacts on socio-economic systems, environmental resources, and ecosystem services. Projected changes in climate and land use are expected to further affect island biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and, consequently, the quality of life of island communities. While existing methodologies can adequately predict climate-driven ecological changes on larger islands, their applicability remains limited for small and medium-sized islands, highlighting the need for refined and scale-appropriate approaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Islands\u2019 challenges Local specificities and needs are often overlooked in policy objectives. A key challenge for islands is that their natural resources are largely managed according to national, regional, or even global policy frameworks that frequently fail to account for local contexts and priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The EU Green Deal promotes transformative change toward a more sustainable future, with Nature-based Solutions (NbS) offering multiple societal and environmental benefits. Despite this potential, their uptake in island environment policy and planning remains limited. During the third United Nations Ocean Conference<\/a> (UNOC 3) in Nice in June 2025, attention was drawn to the dual threats and opportunities that seabed exploration presents for island territories.![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.cost.eu\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SMILES-infographic-visual.png\")
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Integrated assessments of island-related Ecosystem Services (ES) remain limited. While ES assessments have been conducted globally across various geographical contexts, islands continue to be underrepresented. Despite their acknowledged importance and vulnerability, research on the identification and provision of ES on islands is still scarce.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Islands and their surrounding waters have long been recognised as biological and cultural laboratories for centuries, and European research cannot afford to ignore them, especially as the climate continues to change.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIntroducing SMILES<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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