As part of efforts to address the worsening climate crises across the globe, Tuvalu, an independent island nation in the South Pacific region, is accelerating its efforts to leverage technology to digitize its assets.
The British Commonwealth country says it is investing in the curation of a digital version of its sovereignty, a development that seeks to “metaversify” its assets including but not limited to history, culture, and land
Simon Kofe, Tuvalu’s Minister for Justice, Communication & Foreign Affairs, confirmed the development in a video for the UN’s COP27 climate summit on Wednesday.
Kofe, in the 3:33 minute video, noted that the country’s decision to go digital was a technical response to recent threats of rising sea levels and climate change that are threatening the country’s existence.
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He said: “As our land disappears, we have no choice but to become the world’s first digital nation.
“Our land, our ocean, our culture is the most precious assets of our people and to keep them safe from harm, no matter what happens in the physical world, we will move them to the cloud.”
Kofe, in his presentation, urged world leaders to contribute towards financing smart and sustainable solutions to climate change.
“Together, we must stop fossil-fuel emissions and fossil-fuel productions, and majorly boost financing loss and damage, mitigation and adaptation measures,” he stated.
According to reports, nearly 40% of Tuvalu’s capital district is currently submerged underwater, especially during high tide. By the end of the century, scientists predict that the entire country may be underwater.
Kofe’s digital world will see tech experts simulate and replicate Tuvalu’s physical world in the cloud for future generations to see what its space and land once looked like before the ultimate hit of the climate crisis.
