Tuvalu, a remote island nation in the Pacific Ocean, is set to become the first country in history to be evacuated entirely because of rising sea levels. With an average elevation of just 6.5 feet above sea level, the nation’s 11,000 residents face an unavoidable future: much of their land and infrastructure is predicted to be underwater by 2050. The government has already signed a landmark agreement with Australia to ensure a planned migration for its people before the ocean claims the islands.&nbsp;<h2>The climate migration plan</h2><h2>&nbsp;</h2>Under the Falepili Union Treaty, agreed in 2023, Australia will accept 280 Tuvaluan citizens each year as permanent residents through a ballot-based “climate visa” scheme. The programme opens in 2025, granting recipients the same rights to health care, education, housing and employment as Australian citizens. Demand has been immediate and overwhelming — more than 5,000 applications were submitted in the first month, representing almost half the population. Within just four days of opening, one-third of the nation had registered for the chance to relocate.The migration scheme is designed to be gradual, but if current interest continues, close to 40 per cent of Tuvalu’s population could move to Australia within a decade. Residents will also have the option to return home if conditions allow, though scientists warn that worsening floods and storms will make permanent return unlikely.&nbsp;Tuvalu, climate change, rising sea levels, Pacific islands, global warming, climate migration, Australia climate visa, Falepili Union Treaty, climate refugees, island evacuation, sea level rise, Tuvalu relocation, coastal flooding, climate crisis, environmental migration, disappearing nations, ocean levels, Pacific relocation, climate impact, sinking islands &nbsp;

Tuvalu is made up of nine small coral atolls and islands, home to just over 11,000 people.

&nbsp;<h2>The urgency behind the exodus</h2><h2>&nbsp;</h2>Tuvalu’s vulnerability stems from a combination of rising sea levels, more intense storms and the loss of freshwater sources to salinisation. According to recent studies, sea levels in the region were already 15 centimetres higher in 2023 than they were 30 years earlier. By mid-century, high tides could submerge much of the country’s habitable land, eroding its cultural and economic foundations.&nbsp;The government has attempted to preserve its heritage through innovative measures such as 3D-scanning the islands, creating a digital record of the nation in case its physical territory is lost. However, this technological safeguard cannot prevent the displacement of its people.&nbsp;<h2>A global warning</h2>&nbsp;Tuvalu is not alone in facing such existential threats. Low-lying nations like the Maldives, Kiribati, the Solomon Islands, Fiji and Vanuatu are similarly at risk. Even wealthier nations, including the United States, face the prospect of relocating communities as rising seas threaten coastal states like Florida and Louisiana. Scientists warn that by 2070, over three billion people worldwide could find themselves living outside the climate conditions that have sustained human civilisation for millennia. Tuvalu’s exodus is a stark demonstration that climate change is no longer a distant forecast but a present reality.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Under the Falepili Union Treaty, agreed in 2023, Australia will accept 280 Tuvaluan citizens each year as permanent residents through a ballot-based ‘climate visa’ scheme. 

Tuvalu, a remote island nation in the Pacific Ocean, is set to become the first country in history to be evacuated entirely because of rising sea levels. With an average elevation of just 6.5 feet above sea level, the nation’s 11,000 residents face an unavoidable future: much of their land and infrastructure is predicted to be underwater by 2050. The government has already signed a landmark agreement with Australia to ensure a planned migration for its people before the ocean claims the islands. The climate migration plan Under the Falepili Union Treaty, agreed in 2023, Australia will accept 280 Tuvaluan citizens each year as permanent residents through a ballot-based “climate visa” scheme. The programme opens in 2025, granting recipients the same rights to health care, education, housing and employment as Australian citizens. Demand has been immediate and overwhelming — more than 5,000 applications were submitted in the first month, representing almost half the population. Within just four days of opening, one-third of the nation had registered for the chance to relocate. The migration scheme is designed to be gradual, but if current interest continues, close to 40 per cent of Tuvalu’s population could move to Australia within a decade. Residents will also have the option to return home if conditions allow, though scientists warn that worsening floods and storms will make permanent return unlikely. Tuvalu, climate change, rising sea levels, Pacific islands, global warming, climate migration, Australia climate visa, Falepili Union Treaty, climate refugees, island evacuation, sea level rise, Tuvalu relocation, coastal flooding, climate crisis, environmental migration, disappearing nations, ocean levels, Pacific relocation, climate impact, sinking islands

Under the Falepili Union Treaty, agreed in 2023, Australia will accept 280 Tuvaluan citizens each year as permanent residents through a ballot-based ‘climate visa’ scheme.&nbsp;

This entire country is being evacuated due to global warming! Have you visited it before?

Struggling Test opener Sam Konstas was picked Thursday (Aug 7) for Australia A's red-ball tour of India next month, with chief selector George Bailey saying the experience will be invaluable. The 19-year-old, who had a horror time during Australia's recent senior tour of the West Indies, was the only incumbent Test player selected for two four-day games in Lucknow. Test-capped players Cooper Connolly, Todd Murphy and Nathan McSweeney were also in the 14-man squad. A separate Australia A squad was named for three one-day games.&nbsp;"The subcontinent provides many unique challenges and the opportunity to utilise different skills with bat and ball," said Bailey. “We hope repeated experiences in these conditions will assist players in developing an effective method and understanding of their game for future subcontinent tours.”&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-eng-2025-thank-god-i-didn-t-face-a-90mph-bouncer-chris-woakes-opens-up-on-batting-with-one-hand-in-oval-test-1754543757256">‘Thank God I didn’t face a 90mph bouncer…,’ Woakes opens up on batting with one hand in Oval Test</a>&nbsp;Konstas made headlines in the Melbourne Boxing Day Test last year when he took on Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah to make a blazing debut 60 with a succession of unorthodox shots. He lasted one more Test before being jettisoned, only to win back his place for the West Indies Test series in June-July.&nbsp;However, he failed to pass 25 in six innings with his hold on the position increasingly shaky ahead of Australia's home Ashes series against England this year.&nbsp;Australia A four-day squad:&nbsp;&nbsp;Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Jack Edwards, Aaron Hardie, Campbell Kellaway, Sam Konstas, Nathan McSweeney, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy, Fergus O’Neill, Oliver Peake, Josh Philippe, Corey Rocchiccioli, Liam Scott&nbsp;Australia A one-day squad:&nbsp;&nbsp;Cooper Connolly, Harry Dixon, Jack Edwards, Sam Elliott, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Mackenzie Harvey, Todd Murphy, Tanveer Sangha, Liam Scott, Lachie Shaw, Tom Straker, Will Sutherland, Callum Vidler&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

The 19-year-old, who had a horror time during Australia's recent senior tour of the West Indies, was the only incumbent Test player selected for two four-day games in Lucknow.

Struggling Test opener Sam Konstas was picked Thursday (Aug 7) for Australia A's red-ball tour of India next month, with chief selector George Bailey saying the experience will be invaluable. The 19-year-old, who had a horror time during Australia's recent senior tour of the West Indies, was the only incumbent Test player selected for two four-day games in Lucknow. Test-capped players Cooper Connolly, Todd Murphy and Nathan McSweeney were also in the 14-man squad. A separate Australia A squad was named for three one-day games. "The subcontinent provides many unique challenges and the opportunity to utilise different skills with bat and ball," said Bailey. “We hope repeated experiences in these conditions will assist players in developing an effective method and understanding of their game for future subcontinent tours.” Also read | ‘Thank God I didn’t face a 90mph bouncer…,’ Woakes opens up on batting with one hand in Oval Test Konstas made headlines in the Melbourne Boxing Day Test last year when he took on Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah to make a blazing debut 60 with a succession of unorthodox shots. He lasted one more Test before being jettisoned, only to win back his place for the West Indies Test series in June-July. However, he failed to pass 25 in six innings with his hold on the position increasingly shaky ahead of Australia's home Ashes series against England this year. Australia A four-day squad: Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Jack Edwards, Aaron Hardie, Campbell Kellaway, Sam Konstas, Nathan McSweeney, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy, Fergus O’Neill, Oliver Peake, Josh Philippe, Corey Rocchiccioli, Liam Scott Australia A one-day squad: Cooper Connolly, Harry Dixon, Jack Edwards, Sam Elliott, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Mackenzie Harvey, Todd Murphy, Tanveer Sangha, Liam Scott, Lachie Shaw, Tom Straker, Will Sutherland, Callum Vidler Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

The 19-year-old, who had a horror time during Australia's recent senior tour of the West Indies, was the only incumbent Test player selected for two four-day games in Lucknow.

Ashes hopefuls Konstas, McSweeney in Australia-A squad for red-ball tour of India

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This entire country is being evacuated due to global warming! Have you visited it before?

Ashes hopefuls in Australia-A squad for red-ball tour of India