The highly unusual measure of the Pacific island nation of Tuvalu “applying for relocation visas nationwide” recently trended on Weibo once again highlighting humanity’s vulnerability in the face of climate change. This scenario， akin to a disaster movie where fate is decided by a lottery， serves as a stark reminder of our fragility.
According to reports from sources like Reference News， Australian official data indicates that in the “climate migrant” eligibility lottery that concluded this month， a total of 2，474 family groups， comprising 8，750 Tuvaluan citizens， submitted applications. Of these， 280 individuals will be granted permanent residency in Australia through the lottery.
Depending on the statistical approach， Tuvalu’s population is estimated to be between 9，500 and 11，000. Considering that those who have already secured residency in Australia and New Zealand were ineligible to participate in the draw， describing this as a nationwide lottery is not an exaggeration.
For background， Tuvalu is situated in the Southwest Pacific， comprised of nine coral atolls. Its total land area is only 26 square kilometers. The country’s terrain is extremely low-lying， with the highest point being a mere 4.6 meters above sea level， and the average elevation only 2 meters.
In a 2023 report， NASA assessed that Tuvalu’s sea level has risen by 0.15 meters over the past three decades. Projections indicate that by 2050， relative sea levels in coastal areas are expected to rise by an additional 20 centimeters or more， potentially increasing by 0.5 to 1 meter by the end of this century.
The report further highlights that based on these projections， a significant portion of Tuvalu’s landmass and critical infrastructure will be below the mean high tide level by 2050. Future sea-level rise will exacerbate the impacts of tides， waves， and storms， significantly increasing the frequency and severity of periodic flooding.
Against this backdrop， Tuvalu and Australia signed the “Falepili Union Treaty” at the end of 2023， which came into effect last August.
Under this agreement， Australia will offer permanent residency to 280 Tuvaluans annually， along with educational subsidies， health insurance， family tax relief， and childcare benefits. Upon meeting eligibility criteria， Tuvaluans with permanent residency can also apply for Australian citizenship. Due to its unique circumstances， this has been dubbed the world’s first “climate visa.”
The initial pre-application window for the lottery was open from June 16th to July 18th of this year. The drawing process commenced on July 25th and will continue until January 25th of next year.
The World’s First “Digital Nation”
Faced with the escalating threat of rising sea levels， the Tuvaluan government announced its “national relocation to the metaverse” plan in 2023. Following the plan’s unveiling， Tuvalu began transferring a vast amount of historical， geographical， and cultural information into electronic archives.
In terms familiar to AI industry investors， Tuvalu is creating a “digital twin” of its territory， backing up every aspect of the islands. The nation also hopes to maintain its status as a sovereign state through this initiative.
Under modern international law， a state is generally recognized as possessing territory， a permanent population， a government， and the capacity to enter into relations with other states. For Tuvalu， the conditions of territory and population may face significant challenges in the coming decades.
Therefore， in addition to securing its national borders within the metaverse， the Tuvaluan government is also pursuing the creation of digital passports stored on the blockchain， enabling future governance to continue. These passports would manage all affairs， including birth， marriage， and death registrations.
While this endeavor faces internal debate within Tuvalu and its international recognition remains uncertain， the project itself underscores an undeniable reality: as sea levels continue to rise， life becomes increasingly difficult， and many on the islands will inevitably be forced to relocate.
