Conceiving of Islands as Ecoterritories

Within the growing and diversified sport tourism market, the decision to pursue sustainable development goals while seeking economic growth requires a social, environmental, and political commitment. This commitment has been referred to as the emergence of a global ecopedagogy. This chapter outlines a conceptual framework of small island states or territories as ecoterritories. Drawing on existing constructs, such as ecosystems and ecoregions, the concept of ecoterritories provides a more flexible tool for analysis at the meso and micro levels of sustainable development. This model seeks optimal management and maintenance of island resources, such that land and water use consistently sustain resource productivity. This integrated and multidimensional approach to sustainable development analyses both island vulnerabilities and assets as a means for determining eco-systemic capability. Such analyses support inclusive decision making as a result of diverse stakeholder governance.