Tuvalu’s digital lifeline: Building a metaverse nation to save a sinking paradise

It is no longer a story of the future, a sci-fi fiction we fear but cannot visualize. Two of the nine islands of Tuvalu are on the verge of disappearing.

The microstate Tuvalu, an island country in the Pacific, is feeling some of the worst effects of climate change. They are not losing a species or dealing with an increase in carbon footprint: the nation of Tuvalu is sinking under the rising sea levels, and it seems to be a matter of time before it is lost entirely. Researchers estimate that more than 50% of the capital, Funafuti, could be flooded by 2050.

While its land may be engulfed, its people’s determination to keep their home alive is stronger than ever. The nation’s efforts are symbolic — Tuvalu is planning to create a twin version of its entirety on the metaverse. This digital response was provoked by the existential threat of rising sea levels.

Simon Kofe, Tuvalu’s minister for justice, communication and foreign affairs, conveyed this message through a digital address to leaders at COP27, saying “Our land, our ocean, our culture are the most precious assets of our people and to keep them safe from harm,” he stated,  “no matter what happens in the physical world, we will move them to the cloud.” 

NASA’s Sea Level Observations program reports that the sea level in Tuvalu has risen 6 inches over 30 years; it is worsening at an alarming – and exponential – rate. The beautiful islands mark the beginning of a global climate crisis, and it reveals a lot about the next several decades to come.

Kofe stated that the plan would essentially create a digital (and identical) twin version of Tuvalu in the metaverse. This model would act to replicate the beautiful islands of this nation and preserve its deep history and unique culture. 

Kofe further explained, “The tragedy of this outcome cannot be overstated…Tuvalu could be the first country in the world to exist solely in cyberspace — but if global warming continues unchecked, it won’t be the last.”

While it has not yet garnered much support and skepticism still lingers, the general concept is that this metaverse version of Tuvalu would allow it to “fully function as a sovereign state,” even after its downfall has relocated the citizens to another nation. 

Kofe implied that three central aspects of Tuvalu could be replicated in its metaverse counterpart. The physical beauty of Tuvalu’s nature can be recreated, with features for interaction. Furthermore, on the metaverse, Tuvaluan people would be able to continue interacting with one another. This would allow the preservation of shared language, customs, and other native cultures. Lastly, sovereignty would be maintained: even in the worst-case scenario of completely losing physical territory, Kofe suggests that Tuvalu could still have sovereign control over its metaverse version.

For now, the future of Tuvalu is uncertain. How much longer will it take for another island to be submerged in the wrath of global warming? How would its peoples’ legal ties to the nation work, exactly, in the metaverse? All of these questions remain unanswered, but whether in real life or the metaverse, Tuvalu will indubitably remain a place to call home in the hearts of its nearly 12,000 citizens.