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The disappearing island
of Tuvalu
Just northeast of Australia the small island nation of Tuvalu is shrinking
into the ocean due to global climate change. The people of Tuvalu are
imploring the global community to take drastic measures in slowing
global warming, and are hoping to save their tiny country.
T
uvalu sits just 2-3
meters above sea level,
and is home to just
over 10,000 people. Halfway
between Australia and Hawaii,
Tuvalu is a former British
colony, largely populated with
people of Polynesian and some
Micronesian heritage. In the
Tuvaluan language the name
of the island means “group of
eight,” referring to eight of the
nine atolls that stretch over
750,000 square kilometers.
Now, because of climate change,
this small chain of islands may
disappear into the sea.
Why?
Rising ocean levels may mean
that in the next 30-50 years
Tuvalu will be underwater.
The problem of global climate
change is creating a situation
where sea levels rise due to
thermal expansion of water and
meltingice caps and glaciers.
These rising tides mean that
Tuvalu is one of the most
endangered countries on the
planet. Not only will Tuvaluans
be affected years from now
but their day-to-day lifestyle is
currently in jeopardy.
The warmer waters are affecting
coral reefs, which in turn is
affecting the availability of fish
for Tuvaluans to eat. Fish are a
staple in the Tuvaluan diet and
the main source of protein for the
people living on the island. The
people of Tuvalu are limited in
how much they can farm because
their country consists largely of
sand, which is not viable land to
sow crops.
The sea is also constantly
invading freshwater supplies,
according to an article in
Reuters. Because of this, people
are limited in how much water
they can drink. The lessening
availability of clean water means
that the people of Tuvalu run the
risk of rising diseases and are
more susceptible to pandemics.
Climate change has also meant
that Tuvaluans are faced with
more cyclones and droughts then
in previous years.
“We keep thinking the time
will never come. The alternative
is to turn ourselves into fish and
live underwater,” Deputy Prime
Minister Tavau Teii told Reuters.
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Tuvalu’s geography
Tuvaluans.
Because Tuvalu is so low
lying and narrow geographically
the ever-increasing waves are
predicted to swallow the country
in the next few decades, turning
Tuvalu into the modern-day
Atlantis.
“We try to run away from
the sea rise in Tuvalu, but
this is another sea-level rise,”
a Tuvaluan in New Zealand
told Mother Jones referring to
cultural and economic struggles
between Tuvaluan immigrants
and their host countries.
The highest point in Tuvalu is
4 meters above sea level, making
the island very close to the ocean
level and the huge waves are
constantly eroding away the
islands’ coastline.
Many of the coral reefs that
surround the country are highly
vulnerable to heat stress, and
with the changes in water
temperature the coral reefs are
dying, according to a report from
the United Nations.
How Tuvaluans feel
In the Miss South Pacific
event in 2009, Miss Tuvalu was
outspoken about the effects of
climate change on her country.
She used the Miss South Pacific
pageant as a platform to voice
concern for her country. The
slogan for the pageant that year
was “Preserving our environment
the Pacific way,” writes Mother
Jones magazine.
A United Nations report on
Tuvalu writes that the increase in
immigration and ensuing culture
clashes that are bound to happen,
may create tension and unrest
between Tuvaluan immigrants
and their new homes.
Solutions
A reduction of greenhouse
emissions is a top priority on the
list of changes that must be made
in order to save Tuvalu.
The small country must also
learn how to adapt to the rapidly
changing environment they
are finding themselves in. The
United Nations report suggests
financial aid to countries that
are at risk of disappearing due
to climate change as well as
regional centers for adaptation to
the new environment.
Many Tuvaluans are moving
away from their country to
nearby countries like New
Zealand and Australia where they
sometimes struggle to mesh their
own culture with that of their
new country. New Zealand has
a limited immigration program
with Tuvalu, and is seen as a
kind of best-case scenario for
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