First Climate Relocation of a Country Initiated

This Pacific island nation could be completely flooded within 25 years due to rising sea levels. To address the threat of climate change, Tuvalu is now planning the world’s first organized relocation of an entire nation.

The island nation of Tuvalu is known for its coral reefs and turquoise waters. But with an average elevation of only two meters above sea level, it is highly vulnerable to flooding, storms, and rising sea levels—effects that are exacerbated by the climate crisis.

Some of the country’s villages are located on a narrow strip of land only 20 meters wide. According to studies by the US space agency NASA, large parts of Tuvalu could be under water by 2050. The country’s approximately 11,000 inhabitants, spread across nine low-lying islands, are being forced to look for a new home.

In response, Tuvalu and Australia have launched a joint visa program. It gives up to 280 Tuvaluans per year the right to settle in Australia. The visas are awarded through a lottery and give the selected individuals the same rights as Australian citizens, including healthcare, education, work, and housing.

Digital nation

The first round of applications closed in July. Interest was high, with 8,750 people registering. The first group of 280 people was selected in a lottery on July 25. When other ways of settling in Australia and New Zealand are taken into account, almost four percent of Tuvalu’s population is expected to move abroad each year, according to Wired.

Tuvalu is doing more than just preparing for physical relocation. Officials are working on a solution that will allow Tuvalu to continue to exist as an independent state even after the islands disappear beneath the surface. In 2022, the country launched a project to become the world’s first “digital nation.” This involves scanning the islands in 3D to recreate them digitally and moving government functions to a virtual environment. The aim is to preserve culture, history, and national identity, even if the country becomes uninhabitable.

Cover photo: Alastair Grant/AP/TT. Some of Tuvalu’s villages sit on a narrow strip of land only 20 meters wide. Archive photo.