Battling for survival on the climate frontline, Tuvalu faces up to physical erasure

Tuvalu, a low-lying Pacific island nation, is on the frontline of the climate crisis, with rising sea levels threatening to submerge much of its territory by the end of the century.Many of its citizens are already planning for an uncertain future. In 2025, more than 90 per cent applied for a visa pathway offering residency in Australia. Earlier, in 2022, the government launched a “digital nation” initiative in the metaverse to help preserve Tuvalu’s statehood, identity and culture if its land is lost.Backed by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and partners, Tuvalu’s government is trying to protect its most heavily populated islands by creating raised land banks.UN News’s Edouard de Bray asked Tuya Altangerel, a senior UNDP official in the Pacific region,  how rising sea levels are already affecting communities.