This is Tuvalu, the 4th smallest country in the world. Sitting roughly halfway between Australia and Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean, the country is made up of nine islands and low-lying coral atolls.
Not many people know about Tuvalu, and even less people are able to visit this remote country. With only 3 flights per week, Tuvalu is also the least visited country on Earth. But I was lucky enough to experience this special nation first hand while on an assignment for Greenpeace Australia Pacific.
Tuvalu is at high risk of disappearing. With much of the country sitting at less than three meters above sea level, it means if sea levels rise only a few feet, most of the country will be underwater. The United Nations has described the nation as being “on the extreme frontlines of the global climate emergency”. Shockingly the Pacific region only contributes 0.03% to the world’s total emissions, but unfortunately they are bearing the worst impacts of climate change. This is what makes climate change an issue of climate justice as well.
It is known that Tuvalu is at risk of being completely underwater by 2050. That means the country will be lost, as well as the traditions, languages, native flora, ceremonies and priceless culture and ancestry heritage along with it. The threat of total evacuation in the decades to come is being treated seriously by the country’s leaders. And as a result, the youth of Tuvalu are leading the way in the climate movement, responsible for some of the most cutting edge research and developments in climate solutions and adaptation. To the people of Tuvalu, climate change is now. It's dystopian reality is already here and we are already see it's affects.