Tuvalu's Fight Against Rising Sea Levels | 27 Sep 2024

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.