Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — One of the world’s smallest countries, Tuvalu, located in the Pacific Ocean, is grappling with the terrifying threat of sinking beneath rising seas. The country’s 11,000 residents, spread across nine atolls, are witnessing their homeland being slowly consumed by the rising sea levels driven by global warming.
Over the past three decades, sea levels in Tuvalu have risen by 15 centimeters, a rate 1.5 times faster than the global average. With Tuvalu’s highest elevation barely reaching two meters, the threat is serious.
NASA scientists predict that by 2050, half of Funafuti, Tuvalu’s main atoll and home to 60% of its population, could be submerged by daily tides. The villages of Funafuti sit on a narrow strip of land just 20 meters wide. By the year 2100, NASA projects that 90% of Funafuti could be underwater.
The residents of Tuvalu are already feeling the impact of rising seas. Saltwater intrusion has contaminated freshwater supplies, damaging crops. In response, locals have turned to rainwater collection and have elevated their gardens to continue growing vegetables.
The threat of Tuvalu sinking is serious. If scientists’ predictions hold, the country could lose its physical landmass, challenging its status as a sovereign nation. Under international maritime law, a country must have land above water to be recognized. If Tuvalu vanishes, it could lose its legal existence as a country.
Tuvalu’s government is working urgently to ensure the country’s sovereignty is maintained. One effort involves redefining maritime law to protect its territorial waters, even if the land is submerged.
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According to Reuters, Tuvalu’s diplomatic efforts to secure its legal status are progressing. The country has secured joint communiqués with diplomatic partners that support the preservation of its maritime boundaries.
Eighteen members of the Pacific Islands Forum have signed this communiqué, while Australia has also pledged its support. Australia has committed that “Tuvalu’s statehood and sovereignty will continue.”
Additionally, fifteen other governments across Asia and Europe have signed bilateral agreements with Tuvalu, agreeing that its maritime boundaries will remain intact despite rising sea levels.
In a climate and security agreement with Australia in 2023, Tuvalu secured a pathway for 280 of its citizens to migrate annually to Australia, to safeguard the population’s future. This agreement, set to begin next year, is seen as a lifeline for Tuvalu’s people, offering them a means of escape from the escalating climate crisis threatening their island home.
As Tuvalu confronts the harsh realities of climate change, its future remains uncertain. But through diplomatic efforts and international agreements, the nation is striving to ensure that even if its land disappears, its sovereignty and identity will not be washed away with the tides.
(Raidi/Agung)
