As scientists expect the Pacific nation of Tuvalu to be submerged soon due to rising sea levels, an estimated one-third of the population has begun applying for climate-change visas, seeking migration and residency in Australia.
Being one of the most endangered countries, standing on the front lines of the devastation caused by climate change, Tuvalu has an estimated population of 11,000 scattered across islands located between Australia and Hawaii.
Once the visa lottery was opened this past month, marking the first time climate-change visas are sought, about 4,052 citizens registered for the visa application process under the Australia-Tuvalu bilateral security and climate agreement.
An annual cap of 280 visas has been set, with applications set to close on July 18, 2025. The cap aims to ensure that Australian resources are not drained. The visa, however, enables citizens of Tuvalu to reside, study, and work in Australia with complete access to education and healthcare services that are available to Australian nationals.
Tapugao Felfou, Tuvalu’s ambassador to the United Nations, told Reuters that he was “startled by the huge number of people vying for this opportunity.” He added that “moving to Australia under the Falepili Union Treaty will in some way provide additional remittance to families staying back.”
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NASA has projected that by 2050, daily tides will submerge approximately half of the mainland of Funafuti, currently housing about 60% of Tuvalu’s citizens. Based on this projection, a one-metre rise in sea levels is anticipated. However, the worst case could result in at least two-metre rise, submerging 90% of Funafuti.
The average elevation across Tuvalu does not exceed six feet and seven inches, where a six-inch sea level rise has already been recorded over the last three decades.
The country is known to have been built on approximately 17 acres of artificial land, with authorities seeking to expand this area in the hope that it remains above water until at least 2100.
