RIASSUNTO
The concept of ‘Smart’ has taken the world by storm. In every corner of the planet, countries are currently focusing on becoming smart in order to meet the challenges of increasing urban population and sustainable development. Small Island Developing States (SIDS) also need to be part of this endeavor. However, the challenges faced by SIDS are not comparable to those of developed and developing countries. The differences in geographic location, the availability of resources, the social and economic landscape and the environmental factors are significant and thus play a determining role in creating smart islands. In this paper, referring to Mauritius as an example, we discuss the priority areas that should be considered when creating smart SIDS. We related these priority areas to the emerging issues in SIDS as identified by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Finally, we outline the challenges faced by SIDS and we provide recommendations to be considered when creating smart islands.