Coastal areas across the globe and people who live in them are vulnerable to a host of natural disasters including hurricanes, typhoons, and tsunamis. During the past several decades, coastal communities of the world have also been seriously affected by man-made disasters resulting in severe social, economic, and environmental damages. The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DWH) was the worst man-made disaster for the Gulf coast communities of the US. Community residents and resource organizations in the Florida Gulf coast responded quickly to address social, economic, and environmental needs after this disaster. The purpose of this single case study is to determine these community responses. The research uses documents from community organizations and in-depth interviews with community leaders. Constant comparative analysis method was used to determine major and sub categories of community efforts. Results show that community efforts centered on collaboration, outreach, and grassroots mobilization for resiliency after the disaster.

Sustainable community development has become a cornerstone for the overall sustainability movement in the recent years. Island provinces, due to the unique make up of their communities can and should adopt sound community development process for sustaining their futures growth. Civic engagement and citizen input are crucial for planning sustainable growth of island communities. This is primarily due to the fact that most island communities are inundated with rapidly growing tourism industry that threatens to affect the future of their environmental assets, island cultures and living standards. The purpose of this article is to highlight the importance of environmental governance and citizen participation for sustainable growth of island communities. In addition to discussing the importance of citizen participation in sustainable development of island communities, this article also provides a brief case study of Jeju island and its recent attempts to promote sustainability in the wake of rapidly growing tourist industry. Two emerging and important planning processes that can enhance sustainable community development of island provinces are also discussed with specific applications to Jeju

Global climate change has become a major issue which affects the humanity and nature around the world. Caused primarily by human actions of unabated greenhouse gas emission and deforestation, the destructive effects of climate change have become more frequent and intense during the past decades. As climate change is a global problem, addressing its causes and consequences also requires global responses. While climate change is caused by people from various parts of the world, its impacts disproportionately affect people in coastal regions and islands around the world, and marginalized poor communities in developing countries. Everyone in the planet has a role in addressing climate change, but governments, non governmental organizations (NGOs,), and corporations have broader roles and responsibilities. Due to their mission alignments to protect the environment and conserve nature, environmental NGOs play several vital roles in the fightagainst climate change. Environmental NGOs and international NGOs are in a unique position to respond, and to facilitate the involvement of other sectors in mitigation and adaptation strategies for climate change. This article discusses some of the roles and responsibilities of NGOs in addressing climate change.

During the past decades, the island city of Jeju, through considerable multi- sectoral efforts, has grown to be a shining example of an environmental hub model. The origin of Jeju’s growth as a global environmental hub can be traced primarily to two major characteristics: 1. The willingness of the people of Jeju to share their island’s vibrant cultural heritage and unique natural beauty with the rest of the world, and 2. The tireless endeavors of Jeju Special Self-GoverningProvince to manage Jeju’s environment, and share its environmental best practices to urban centers across the world. These endeavors are expressed as the principal of policy that conservation is prior to development. In order to achieve its goal of a World Environmental Hub status, Jeju Special Self- Governing Province is promoting 1) institutional strategies, 2) supplementation of its existing master plan, and 3) restructuration of existing social system. The first includes the promotion of this project on a joint base with IUCN and the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Korea, establishment of head office of world environmental hub promotion in Jeju Governmental organization, and enactment of world environmental hub special law by the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea. The second is considering collaborations with the members of IUCN commissions, domestic experts, and consultants who will be recruited from overseas. The third is for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the master plan through the restructuring of exiting socio-economic system to a new one focusing on maximizing the eco-efficiency and environ- mentally friendly behavior.