The island nation Tuvalu is known for its coral reefs and turquoise water. But with an average height of only two meters above sea level, it is very vulnerable to flooding, storms, and rising sea levels – effects that are worsened by the climate crisis.
A part of the country's villages rest on a narrow strip of land, only 20 meters wide. Large parts of Tuvalu may be underwater as early as 2050, according to studies from the US space agency Nasa. The country's approximately 11,000 inhabitants, distributed across nine low-lying islands, are forced to look for a new home.
As a response to this, 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 distributed through a lottery and give the selected individuals access to the same rights as Australian citizens, such as healthcare, school, work, and housing.
Digital nation
The first application round closed in July. The interest was great – a total of 8,750 people registered. The first group of 280 people was selected in a lottery on July 25. When counting other ways to settle in Australia and New Zealand, it is estimated that almost four percent of Tuvalu's population will move abroad every year, writes Wired.
Tuvalu is doing more than preparing for physical relocation. Officials are working on a solution where Tuvalu continues to exist as an independent state, even after the islands have disappeared beneath the surface. In 2022, the country launched a project to become the world's first "digital nation". This means that the islands will be scanned in 3D to be recreated digitally, and that government functions will be moved to a virtual environment. The purpose is to preserve culture, history, and national identity, even if the country were to become uninhabitable.
