Asia & the Pacific



Disappearing off the face of the earth – that’s the fear facing Tuvalu. the world’s fourth smallest country in the middle of the Pacific.

Tuvalu island are in danger of literally fading off the face of the earth

Tuvalu island now in danger of literally fading off the face of the earth Image by Tomoaki INABA / CC BY 2.0

The threat is so real that the country’s prime minister jetted into Brussels this week to seek aid from EU leaders. Enele Spoaga says that he needs their backing on climate change if his group of islands with a population of 10,000 people are to avoid being submerged because of changing conditions. The London Independent reports that the land is now just over four metres above sea level at its highest level.

Spoaga has called on Europeans to take measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to lower global warning below 1.5c, according to the Brussels Times. The leader has emphasised that if Tuvalu disappears under water, it will not augur well for what might follow across the rest of the globe. He said it would be possible to save the inhabitants by moving them onto other islands, but warned that there are several island chains in the Pacific Ocean which are now threatened by rising tides.