More Than One-Third of Tuvalu Residents Request Australia’s Climate Visas Amid Sinking Land
According to official data, over one-third of the residents from the small Pacific nation of Tuvalu—predicted by scientists to be submerged due to rising sea levels—have applied for a groundbreaking climate visa to migrate to Australia.
Tapugao Falefou, Tuvalu’s ambassador to the United Nations, expressed surprise at the “massive number of individuals seeking this opportunity,” and noted that the tight-knit community is curious to learn who the initial climate migrants will be.
Tuvalu, regarded as one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, houses a population of 11,000 across its nine atolls, located between Australia and Hawaii in the Pacific.
Since the commencement of applications for Australia’s visa lottery this month, 1,124 individuals have registered, with family members increasing the total number seeking the visa to 4,052 under a bilateral climate and security agreement.
With a population of 11,000, Tuvalu’s nine atolls are scattered across the Pacific between Australia and Hawaii.
The visa will enable residents of Tuvalu to live, work, and study in Australia, granting them access to health services and education on par with Australian citizens.
“By moving to Australia under the Falepili Union treaty, we can provide additional remittances to families remaining in Tuvalu,” Mr. Falefou stated.
NASA scientists forecast that by 2050, daily tides will inundate half of Funafuti, the main atoll where 60% of Tuvalu’s population resides, leaving villagers with just a narrow strip of land as slim as 20 meters to cling to.
This projection is based on a one-meter rise in sea levels, while a worst-case scenario, doubling that, would see 90% of Funafuti underwater.
With an average elevation of only two meters, Tuvalu has suffered a 15 cm rise in sea levels over the last 30 years, which is one and a half times the global average.
The nation has created 17 acres of artificial land and is planning for further development, hoping these areas will remain above water until 2100.
