Islands are among the last places on Earth to have been settled by humans and yet the most impacted by the current environmental crisis. With over 20% of UNESCO world heritage sites, islands are among the planet’s most diverse natural and cultural spots. Their spatial characteristics and variability make them highly suitable for the comparative and diachronic study of human adaptation, resilience, and sustainability, and to explore what broader lessons can be learnt from the study of islands. Thanks to an “Exploration Fund” from the University of Tübingen (2024-2026), this project brings together different perspectives from the social and natural sciences to the study of islands, from their initial colonisation to globalisation in the present day. Island adaptation, sustainability, and resilience will be investigated through case studies in the Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Pacific in relation to the following thematic domains:
- Landscape and climate
- Settlement and resources
- Cultures and identities
The project builds on the work carried out through the DFG Network: Island Studies Network - Interdisciplinary Approaches to Island Exchanges, Environments, and Perceptions (2020-2023).
