Rapid Fire
Tuvalu's Fight Against Rising Sea Levels
- 27 Sep 2024
- 2 min read
In recent times, Tuvalu, a Pacific island nation with 11,000 residents, faces severe existential threats from rising sea levels.
- NASA projects that by 2050, half of its main atoll, Funafuti, will be submerged by daily tides.
- Saltwater has contaminated groundwater, damaging crops and forcing reliance on rainwater tanks and a central raised garden for food.
- Tuvalu is building seawalls and expanding artificial land to delay the impacts until 2100.
- A 2023 climate and security treaty with Australia offers migration pathways for 280 Tuvaluans annually.
- Tuvalu seeks UN-backed recognition of its maritime boundaries and statehood, even if submerged, amid concerns over illegal fishing and revenue loss.
- It seeks legal assurance from the UN and the Pacific Islands Forum.
- Tuvalu:
- It lies in the west-central Pacific, halfway between Hawaii and Australia.
- Its capital is Funafuti, and neighbours include Kiribati and Nauru to the north and Fiji as its nearest neighbour to the south.
- It consists of 3 main islands (Nanumanga, Niutao, and Niulakita) and features 6 coral atolls (like Funafuti, Nanumea, Nui) along with over 100 small islets.
Read More: Line of Credit to Pacific Island Nations.
