Sea Level Rise is Drowning This Pacific Island Nation; They Have a Plan

The Pacific nation of Tuvalu is planning a wholesale relocation as it faces the prospect of being submerged due to sea level rise within the next 25 years.

As Fernanda González explains in Wired, “The country’s average altitude is just 2 meters above sea level, making it extremely vulnerable to rising oceans, flooding, and storm surges, all exacerbated by the climate crisis.”

The nation of 11,000 is now working with Australia on an unprecedented climate visa program that will allow 280 Tuvaluans to move to Australia as permanent residents each year. “Penny Wong, Australia’s foreign minister, said in a statement that the program gives Tuvaluans a chance to settle in Australia ‘with dignity as climate impacts worsen.’ She added that this initiative reflects the deep trust between the two nations and that Tuvaluans are expected to make a valuable contribution to Australian society.”

Tuvalu is also creating 3D scans of its islands and moving government functions to digital environments in order to preserve its national identity and, potentially its sovereignty as a ‘virtual state.’

Other island nations will need to make similar plans as sea level rise threatens low-lying countries all over the world. “For example, sea levels in the Gulf of Mexico have recently risen at three times the global average, according to a study published in Nature in 2023.”