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Tuvalu, a low-lying Pacific nation, is facing an impossible challenge. At the current rate of global sea level rise, the entire country will be submerged in a matter of decades. Already, sea water is leaching through the soil, killing crops and spoiling drinking water. As the ocean closes in, Tuvalu must ask: what happens to a country without land?

In addition to the devastating displacement that will come from the loss of its physical land, Tuvalu faces another threat – the loss of its rights as a nation. International law currently dictates that nations need a "defined territory" to exist, so Tuvalu risks becoming the first country to lose its sovereignty due to climate change. Tuvalu's maritime boundaries, international voting rights, and voice on the world stage are all at risk.

With time running out, Tuvalu has no choice but to start planning for this worst-case scenario. At COP27 (2022), Tuvaluan Minister Simon Kofe announced that Tuvalu will become the First Digital Nation: that it would digitally recreate its land, archive its rich history and culture, and move all governmental functions into a digital space.

This digital transformation will allow Tuvalu to retain its identity and continue to function as a state, even after its physical land is gone. It will also facilitate the governance of a Tuvaluan diaspora by creating a virtual space where Tuvaluans can connect with each other, explore ancestry and culture, and access new opportunities for business and commerce in various industries. Moreover, a permanent digital replica of Tuvalu – a new "defined territory" – will aid in the fight for continued sovereignty under international law.

This digital migration will be a long journey, but the country has taken its first steps.

At COP28, Minister Kofe provided an update to the world. Since the initial announcement of the First Digital Nation, Tuvalu has:

• Completed a comprehensive three-dimensional LIDAR scan of all 124 islands and islets, laying the foundation for its digital nation and helping redefine its territory in the eyes of international law.
• Begun upgrading its national communications infrastructure with the installation of two submarine cables, ensuring sufficient bandwidth for the transition to the cloud.
• Started exploring a digital ID system, which will use the blockchain to connect the Tuvaluan diaspora and allow them to participate in Tuvaluan life, wherever they are.
• Begun building a living archive of Tuvaluan culture, curated by its people. Citizens will be invited to contribute their most treasured personal items for digital preservation, creating a living record of Tuvaluan values.
• Amended its constitution to reflect a new definition of statehood – the first of its kind in the world. The amendment pronounces that the State of Tuvalu within its historical, cultural, and legal framework shall remain in perpetuity in the future, notwithstanding the impacts of climate change or other causes resulting in loss to the physical territory of Tuvalu.

Tuvalu has also formalised this in agreements with other countries, having now signed 12 joint communiques acknowledging Tuvalu's permanent sovereignty with The Bahamas, Cook Islands, Gabon, Republic of Kosovo, Marshall Islands, Niue, Palau, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Taiwan, Vanuatu, and Venezuela.

Following this, the 18 nations of the Pacific Island Forum collectively pronounced that their statehood and sovereignty will continue, and the rights and duties inherent thereto will be maintained, notwithstanding the impact of climate change-related sea-level rise. This took the current total of countries who have legally recognized Tuvalu's digital sovereignty to 25.*

*5 of these Pacific Island forum countries had already signed joined communiques with Tuvalu.

Tuvalu has been actively advocating for global action on climate change for decades. Now, the people of Tuvalu aim to ensure that other vulnerable countries do not share their fate.

As Minister Kofe himself says: "We live with the realities of climate change and have a responsibility to forewarn the world as to what is coming ahead."