The Polynesian island of Tuvalu is composed of nine coral islands across a 420-mile distance in the west-central Pacific Ocean. The ocean has come to reclaim the islands as the natural cycle of climate change has led the surrounding sea level to rise at about 3.9 mm annually, yet the island is only 2 meters above sea level. Australia is now offering the island’s 11,000 inhabitants the opportunity to apply for the world’s first climate visa.
NASA believes that the majority of the islands will be submerged by 2050. Tuvalu has begun the process of digital preservation to maintain records of its culture and landscapes before the islands are reclaimed.
Numerous studies have pointed to dynamic coral processes as the primary reason for rising sea levels. Dynamic coral processes reference the natural order of oceanographic forces that reshape coral reef structures. Certain marine life and reef-building corals produce calcium carbonate and accrue as gravel and sand. The ocean waves and currents naturally break down these structures over time and cause reefs to shift, contract or expand. The reef masses themselves are living landforms that are susceptible to accretion and erosion. Overall, these are not structurally sound for long-term inhabitation.
Australia is currently opening 280 visas for Tuvalu citizens annually for a small registration fee of $16. Visa applicants will be selected at random. Over 3,000 Tuvaluans have applied for a visa thus far. “This is the first agreement of its kind anywhere in the world, providing a pathway for mobility with dignity as climate impacts worsen,” a spokesperson for Australia’s foreign affairs department said. “At the same time, it will provide Tuvaluans the choice to live, study and work in Australia,” Australia’s foreign affairs department said.
“For the first time, there is a country that has committed legally to come to the aid of Tuvalu, upon request, when Tuvalu encounters a major natural disaster, a health pandemic or military aggression,” Tuvalu Prime Minister Feleti Teo said at the time. “Again, for the first time, there is a country that has committed legally to recognize the future statehood and sovereignty of Tuvalu despite the detrimental impact of climate changed-induced sea level rise.”
Australia is not doing this as a humanitarian act. Australia is offering visas with the stipulation that Tuvalu permits Australia to have a final say in defense pacts. As it may be, Tuvalu is one of the twelve states that maintains relations with Taipei over Beijing.
Tuvalu will be uninhabitable prior to 2050 as skilled workers flee to Australia. Australia, in turn, has control over the small island chain. Tuvaluan is seen as a stark warning to those who fear climate change, and yet, this is a naturally occurring phenomenon that humans cannot create or prevent.
