Levon Azizyan, director of the Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center SNCO, wrote on his Facebook page:
“The island state of Tuvalu is preparing to resettle all 11,000 of its citizens due to rising sea levels and increasing storms. An agreement with Australia on the gradual acceptance of migrants with climate visas has been in effect since 2023.
Tuvalu’s average elevation is only 2 meters above sea level. Rising temperatures not only lead to the melting of ice but also increase the intensity of storms already affecting the islands. As of July 2025, the Australian Commission had received almost 9,000 applications for resettlement, which is nearly the entire adult population of the country. According to Jane McAdams, a researcher at the University of New South Wales, in conjunction with other resettlement programs in Australia and New Zealand, up to 4% of the population could leave the country each year, or almost half the population within a decade.
While the relocation work continues, Tuvaluan authorities have begun 3D scanning the islands to preserve a digital copy of the lost landscape and cultural sites. It is an attempt to preserve the disappearing country and leave a mark on its history.
According to the United Nations Development Programme, by 2050, coastal cities with a population of hundreds of millions will face frequent flooding. According to UN estimates, sea level rise is already affecting about a billion people worldwide.
