Tuvalu urges decisive global action as rising seas threaten its future
Tuvalu’s Prime Minister warned the UN that rising seas are already erasing land and identity, urging immediate global action to cut emissions and protect sovereignty.
Prime Minister Feleti Teo told the UN General Assembly that Tuvalu faces an immediate threat from sea-level rise, describing how the country is reclaiming land and using digital tools to preserve its culture and national identity as the climate crisis reshapes its environment. He highlighted that Tuvalu has already reclaimed 15.3 hectares of elevated, flood-free land on Funafuti with another 10 hectares underway, a significant adjustment for a nation with only around 26 square kilometres of land.
Mr. Teo welcomed the UN Political Declaration on Sea-Level Rise, which affirms the continuity of Tuvalu’s statehood and sovereignty despite rising seas, the permanence of its maritime zones under international law, and protections for the dignity and heritage of affected peoples. He emphasized that the declaration ensures Tuvalu’s nationhood remains intact and its people will not be forced to abandon their homeland.
The Prime Minister stressed the urgency of reducing methane and carbon dioxide emissions, noting that an overshoot of the 1.5°C target is now inevitable. He called for vigorous climate action and highlighted Pacific-led initiatives such as the Tassiriki Call for a Fossil Fuel Free Pacific and the Funafuti Call for Climate Justice and Climate Action, while urging timely financing from the Loss and Damage Fund.
Mr. Teo positioned ocean governance as central to Tuvalu’s development and security, despite its limited land area. He noted that while Tuvalu has just 26 square kilometres of land, it stewards 750,000 square kilometres of ocean, framing ocean governance as vital for economic, food, and climate security and urging accelerated progress on SDG 14.