The island nation of Tuvalu is preparing to resettle all 11,000 of its citizens due to rising sea levels and increasing storms. Since 2023, an agreement has been in effect with Australia on the gradual acceptance of migrants on a climate visa.
The average altitude of Tuvalu is only 2 meters above sea level. Rising temperatures lead not only to melting ice, but also to stronger storms, which are already flooding the islands. According to Wired, by July 2025, the Australian commission had received almost 9,000 applications for resettlement – almost the entire adult population.
According to researcher Jane McAdam from the University of New South Wales, in combination with other resettlement programs in Australia and New Zealand, up to 4% of residents could leave the country annually, and almost half the population over a decade. While the resettlement is underway, Tuvalu authorities have begun 3D scanning the islands to preserve a digital copy of the lost landscape and cultural sites. It is an attempt to preserve the disappearing country and leave a mark on its history. According to the UN Development Programme, by 2050, coastal cities with hundreds of millions of inhabitants will face frequent flooding. Already, according to UN estimates, sea rise affects about a billion people worldwide.
