Global warming will force an entire state to move for the first time in history
Moving is a very troublesome event, which is not for nothing compared to a fire. But this is when it comes to changing housing. And imagine moving an entire state to a new place. Unfortunately, this is not a fantasy or a joke at all. It seems that soon the first country that had to move will appear on the planet. And global warming is to blame for everything.
The state of Tuvalu, located on 5 atolls and 4 islands in Oceania, is preparing to move. Its population is slightly more than 11 thousand, but its area is only 26 square kilometers. It is one of the smallest countries in the world. Alas, but information about the size of Tuvalu is very approximate, and all because they are steadily decreasing. The waters of the ocean, gradually rising, take away their homeland from the islanders.
In early November, a funny picture appeared in the world press. It shows the country's Foreign Minister Simon Kofe standing knee-deep in water in a suit against the background of the national flag and making an official appeal. But there is nothing funny in this photo. It was made during the recording of the Tuvalu Foreign Minister's address to the participants of the UN climate summit.
Kofi himself was unable to attend the summit due to restrictions due to the pandemic. The 26th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26) was held from October 31 to November 12 in Glasgow, United Kingdom. With his unusual statement, the Minister wanted to draw the attention of the participants of the event to the plight of his country.
So Simon Coffee began his performance in the water. The threat from the rise of the oceans for Tuvalu is quite real, because the highest point of this state rises above the water level by only 4.8 meters. More recently, this figure was higher, but the warming and melting of glaciers do not leave the islands a chance.
Already, 5 thousand residents have left Tuvalu, which is almost half of the population. Most of them moved to New Zealand. Coffee bitterly stated the fact that his country will soon become the first state without a territory and will be forced to move completely. Preparations for this event are already underway, primarily from the point of view of international law.
The task before the Government of Tuvalu and lawyers is not easy, because history has never known such precedents. It is important to arrange everything so that the state continues to be recognized as sovereign when its entire population lives on foreign territory. You may have to choose the format of the so-called "digital state". Such a solution will unite people who can physically live in different parts of the planet.