You can be on Entrepreneur’s cover!

A Tiny Pacific Island Nation Threatened by Rising Sea Levels Plans to Create a Digital Copy of Itself in the Metaverse Climate change poses an existential threat to Tuvalu, which is forecast to be submerged by 2100.

By Stephanie Stacey

entrepreneur daily

This story originally appeared on Business Insider

Business Insider

Tuvalu plans to become the first country to create a complete replica of itself in the metaverse as rising sea levels threaten to completely submerge the tiny island nation.

Simon Kofe, Tuvalu's foreign affairs minister, announced the project in a virtual address to world leaders at the COP27 climate summit in Egypt.

"The tragedy of this outcome cannot be overstated. But because the world has not acted, we must," he said.

"Our land, our ocean, our culture are 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 also issued a warning to other nations: "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."

Situated about halfway between Hawaii and Australia, Tuvalu is composed of three reef islands and six coral atolls. It's home to around 12,000 people, and has a total land area of just 10 square miles.

For Tuvalu, climate change poses an existential threat. The UN has classified the low-lying island nation as "extremely vulnerable" to rising global temperatures, and experts predict that it could be fully submerged by 2100, per Chatham House.

The first step of Tuvalu's digitization project is a recreation of Teafualiku Islet — the country's smallest island, and the first part of the country that's expected to be lost to rising sea levels.

In his address to COP27, which was delivered against the backdrop of a digital replica of Teafualiku, Kofe said: "Islets like this one won't survive rapid temperature increases, rising sea levels, and drought, so we'll recreate them virtually. Piece by piece we'll preserve our country, provide solace to our people, and remind our children and our grandchildren what our home once was."

Kofe also implored other nations to take serious action on climate change to help Tuvalu avoid the "worst-case scenario". He told delegates: "Only concerted global effort can ensure that Tuvalu does not move permanently online and disappear forever from the physical plane."

This isn't the first time Kofe has attracted global attention on behalf of Tuvalu. At the COP26 climate summit last year, he grabbed headlines by addressing the conference while standing knee-deep in the sea to underline Tuvalu's vulnerability to climate change.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Growing a Business

To Achieve Sustainable Success, You Need to Stop Focusing on Disruption. Here's Why — and What You Must Focus on Instead.

Instead of zeroing in solely on disruptive innovation, embrace a pragmatic approach to innovation, recognizing and leveraging the potential within ongoing industry shifts.

Business News

Mark Zuckerberg Says This CEO Is the 'Taylor Swift' of Tech

Meta's CEO posed with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on Instagram Wednesday.

Real Estate

3 Emerging Trends Shaping the Future of Real Estate

These three innovations are reshaping the real estate industry — discover tips for effectively covering these trends.

Leadership

What We Have to Gain By Talking About Grief and Loss At Work

I lost my husband to cancer during Covid — here's how it changed how I lead at work.

Side Hustle

This Mom Started a Side Hustle After a 'Shocking' Realization in the Toy Aisle. Her Product Was in Macy's Within the Year — Seeing Nearly $350,000 in Sales.

Elenor Mak, now founder of Jilly Bing, didn't plan to start a business — but the search for a doll that looked like her daughter inspired her to do just that.

Fundraising

Avoid These 9 Pitch Deck Mistakes When Asking Others For Money

Crafting an efficient pitch deck requires serious effort, but at least it's not wandering in the dark since certain rules are shaped by decades of relationships between startups and investors.