In recent years, the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) has been experiencing significant instability regarding its organizational management and relations with non-regional countries. Originally established as a forum for island nations to discuss regional issues and communicate with the international community, in recent years, under the leadership of Australia and New Zealand, "regional integration" has been emphasized. However, given the diversity of island nations, it is more realistic for the PIF to remain a consultative body rather than pursue integration.

Okinotorishima and the atoll small island states of the Pacific share a common foundation in that their territories have been formed by biological processes and are now facing the shared threat of submergence due to sea-level rise. Sustainable territorial maintenance requires eco-engineering approaches that harness the functional roles of corals, foraminifera, and other organisms. The Okinotorishima and Small Island States Program of the University of Tokyo Ocean Alliance operates as a cross-sectoral platform linking academia, government, and industry, promoting reciprocal interaction between research and policy. It aims to develop and socially implement a territorial maintenance model that anticipates and advances Nature-based Solutions (NbS).

Remote island shipping routes connect the mainland with remote islands, as well as between remote islands themselves, and are an important means of transportation for residents and the provision of daily necessities. However, the environment surrounding remote island shipping routes is extremely challenging, with declining route users and a shortage of seafarers. The impacts of these challenges have become particularly apparent in recent years, with operators withdrawing, routes being suspended, and service schedules being reduced.

South of the Ryukyu Islands lies Taiwan, and across the coast from Taiwan numerous islands are found along the coast of Southeast China. Shell mounds existed in these areas for long periods, and we know that the introduction and establishment of rice cultivation differed by region. The question of why the Ryukyu Islands didn’t adopt rice cultivation during the Yayoi period must be addressed through the lens of "island life histories," which deal with both sustainability and regeneration.