Some of the environmental vulnerabilities of SIDS are intrinsic and cannot be influenced by human actions. Others could be managed, at least in part, by the governments and people of SIDS, and to this end, the BPoA and other programmes and initiatives have been adopted. In 2003, SIDS, the UN, and other regional and international organizations have been preparing for the 10-year review in 2004 of progress in implementing the BPoA.
Regional meetings in 2003 to prepare for the 10-year review have been crucial in highlighting some progress and critical issues for attention. Most Caribbean SIDS, for example, now have draft disaster management policies and programmes. Some have developed hazard mitigation policies and have sought to include these measures into their national development plans. There has been an improvement in the early warning system of the region. In addition, a more coordinated regional approach to disaster management and recovery has been developed (UNDESA 2003).

Countries and territories in the Pacific have recommended the full implementation of the Action Strategy for Nature Conservation in the Pacific Islands (2003–2007) to effectively deal with biodiversity conservation. They have also called on governments to complete and implement national biodiversity strategic action plans as well as ratify and implement the Cartagena Protocol. The Pacific region has also called for the development of rules to legally protect traditional knowledge of indigenous and local communities, particularly in the context of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). They have also advocated for regulatory frameworks or instruments to ensure fair and equitable benefit sharing to indigenous and local communities while providing a fair system of access of investors (SIDSNet 2003c).