Habitability – a method for viable island communities: The concept and lessons learned so far

A similar challenge for many small island communities is depopulation together with an uneven demographic curve. Habitability is a method that is knowledge-based, both based on current scientific results and citizen science made by the islander themselves, to provide the summarized picture of the current habitability of the island. Based on all dimensions of sustainable development, the method maps seven areas and 45 indicators on how sustainable, viable and habitable the island community is. What are the strengths of the island community, and where are the challenges found.
The method is licensed under Creative Commons, but the Archipelago Institute at Åbo Akademi University hosts the concept. The method is used, or the work is in progress, in twenty island communities in Finland, both around the coasts and in the lake district areas. Many new insights are discovered when the theoretical model is used as a practical tool. The different island communities show many similarities but have their own characteristics.