Climate migration is not a new concept, but it has gained more attention over the last few years, with temperatures constantly rising and threatening people’s lives and habitats around the globe. Tuvalu is a good example of this. This small country, home to around ten thousand people, is located barely two meters above sea level, and by the end of the century, it could disappear beneath the ocean. The country is now preparing for the first planned migration, with a third of its population having applied for Australia’s climate visa. Will this set a precedent for other countries under climate risks? Check out some opinions below.
Key Takeaways:
- By 2050, scientists predict that daily tides will submerge half of the main Funafuti atoll, home to around 60% of Tuvalu’s residents.
- Tuvalu’s planned climate migration scheme could set an important precedent for global responses to climate-induced displacement, but it also highlights critical challenges.
- According to experts, relocation risks the erosion of cultural identity, the loss of sacred sites, and diminished national pride tied to ancestral lands.
- The success of this initiative will depend on respecting human dignity, safeguarding identity, and linking mobility with sustainable development for both the migrants and the host communities
DevelopmentAid: Will Tuvalu’s planned climate migration set a precedent for other countries dealing with climate issues, and what lessons can be learnt from this?
“Tuvalu’s planned climate migration scheme could set an important precedent for global responses to climate-induced displacement, but it also highlights critical challenges. While providing an organized and dignified pathway, relocation risks the erosion of cultural identity, the loss of sacred sites, and diminished national pride tied to ancestral lands. Experiences in Papua New Guinea, such as the relocation of Carteret Islanders to Tinputz in Bougainville, show that tensions can arise between the new settlers and the host communities over land, resources, and cultural differences. These challenges stress the need for strong consultation, benefit-sharing, and cultural preservation measures in any migration plan. Future schemes must ensure that the relocated communities retain their cultural heritage, maintain ties to their homeland, and are fully integrated into host societies without discrimination. Tuvalu’s initiative is a step forward, but its success will depend on respecting human dignity, safeguarding identity, and linking mobility with sustainable development for both the migrants and the host communities.”
“Tuvalu’s groundbreaking climate migration agreement with Australia marks a transformative moment in how the world is addressing climate-induced displacement. As rising seas threaten to submerge the low-lying island nation, this pact offers a proactive, rights-based model that reframes migration as a dignified and strategic choice. This shift signals a powerful precedent for other vulnerable nations, yet for the model to be truly replicable, vital elements must be thoughtfully addressed. Future agreements must prioritize voluntary and informed migration, enabling individuals to act with agency rather than as passive victims. At the same time, cultural identity must be safeguarded through community-based relocation, cultural preservation efforts, and the ongoing recognition of sovereignty and traditional leadership. Long-term development planning is another essential component, ensuring that both the origin and host countries support education, infrastructure, and economic inclusion for the relocated populations. Tuvalu’s initiative is turning a looming humanitarian crisis into a managed, hopeful transition and challenges the global community to shift from reactive to resilient solutions. Ultimately, it is not just a plan for survival –it is a vision for how climate mobility can preserve dignity, protect identity, and promote justice in a rapidly changing world.”
“In 1963, Canberra proposed relocating Nauruans to Curtis Island, Queensland – a plan rightly rejected by Nauruans who were concerned about losing their nationhood and sovereignty. These same fears remain relevant for Tuvaluans and other climate-displaced peoples today. The Falepili Union Treaty represents a significant step forward, but its success will hinge on thoughtful, fair implementation. Central to this is the managed administration of the migration ballot, which allows up to 280 Tuvaluans to move to Australia each year. As climate impacts intensify, systems must be ready to handle increased demand. Crucially, Tuvaluans who gain Australian citizenship will retain their Tuvaluan citizenship, protecting national identity and sovereignty. Support for relocated Tuvaluans is essential, including access to welfare, education, healthcare, and services to help to navigate life in a new country. The emotional toll of leaving their homeland must not be overlooked, particularly its impact on mental health. Existing Tuvaluan communities in Australia will play a vital support role, but may require assistance themselves, especially given economic pressures. Support will be needed for the Tuvaluans who remain as their country becomes more and more depopulated and ravaged by the effects of climate change. A dignified pathway to leave should also respect and consider the welfare of those who choose to remain and those who have no choice but to stay. Support for the affected communities should be designed for both the displaced Tuvaluans and those remaining and include monitoring and adjustment where necessary. Preserving cultural identity is key. For example, the Tuvalu Digital Repository for Cultural Heritage 2025 is a valuable initiative to safeguard the nation’s cultural legacy. These elements must be well-managed, recorded, and centered on dignity and identity for long-term success. It remains to be seen whether New Zealand’s Free Association agreements with the Cook Islands and Niue, which provide immediate citizenship and passports, allowing families to manage migration on their own terms without relying on a ballot system, offer a more effective approach.”
“Tuvalu’s climate migration agreement with Australia stands as the first proactive step that intertwines responsibility, adaptation, and a degree of climate justice. Whether this approach will inspire similar initiatives or spark controversy is not a question with a straightforward answer. What is clear, however, is that it represents a long-awaited shift from decade-long discussions and commitments on paper to tangible action. Its ultimate success will depend on the durability of the scheme and its ability to safeguard human dignity, preserve cultural identity, and enable Tuvalu’s citizens to realize their potential in new environments. Migration is inherently a multidimensional decision, and it becomes even more complex when both the cause and the proposed solution are tied to the same systems namely, when the Global North continues to drive climate change while also controlling many of the tools for its mitigation. This dynamic underscores the importance of a holistic approach, one that not only provides practical relocation pathways but also empowers climate-vulnerable nations in the Global South to strengthen their advocacy and secure genuine climate justice.”
“There’s been considerable attention paid to the Australia-Tuvalu agreement (The Falepili Union Treaty) that came into force on 28 August 2024 and permits up to 280 Tuvaluans to migrate to Australia every year to escape environmental disaster. This agreement enables the citizens of Tuvalu, an island state with an estimated population of 9,700 people and a land area of 2,514 sq. km that is seriously threatened by climate change, to live, study, and work in Australia and gain access to social benefits, including healthcare and the possibility of permanent residence. A similar initiative was adopted by Argentina’s National Immigration Directorate in May 2022, which aims to collaborate with 23 states by providing humanitarian protection, planned relocation, and durable solutions to nationals and residents of Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean who are situated in vulnerable areas and at a high risk of displacement due to environmental disasters and climate change. This initiative is implemented through a sponsorship program coordinated with civil society engagement, and beneficiaries gain access to housing and integration support. Notably, Argentina’s humanitarian visa targets both internally and cross-border displaced persons and provides residency for three years with the possibility of permanent status. The right of the free movement of people and a guarantee of right of entry, stay, and access to territory, legal rights, and social benefits, has been the practice for Nordic citizens (viz Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden) for decades. Similarly, the promise of the 27-member state European Union is the free movement of citizens across member states, and clear legal pathways permit this. With increasing temperatures in the Global South, it is not unlikely that Northern European states will experience an increase of European migrants seeking cooler climates. In another part of the globe, the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons adopted in February 2020 by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development in the Eastern Africa Region is an initiative that inter alia provides for the free movement of people, including citizens and migrant workers, and accords them the rights of establishment and residency in member states guided “by the principles in relevant regional, continental and international instruments.” These policy initiatives establish important precedents for others to follow. The World Bank’s Groundswell Report estimates that climate change could force 216 million people in six regions to move within their countries by 2050. In some regions of Central America, East Asia and the Pacific, sub-Saharan and North Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the existential threat of having no access to land, water, food or gainful employment is often too much to bear. So people move. Developed countries in the Global North are also dealing with internal displacement and emergency evacuations due to earthquakes, perennial fires, hurricanes and floods. The economic and social strain on national and local governments and emergency services to assist displaced individuals is increasing. Whether it’s California or Bangladesh, Malawi or Manitoba, Guinea-Bissau or Guatemala, the exodus of large numbers of people including whole communities within and across borders and regions due to environmental disaster is a common phenomenon and predicted to grow. What are some solutions and ways forward? The World Bank advises that early action to cut global greenhouse gas emissions is required to secure inclusive and sustainable development, and doing so can reduce the scale of internal climate migration by as much as 60% to 80%. A fortiori reducing greenhouse emissions should have a similar impact on curbing external migration. Legislative and cooperation arrangements continue to be discussed and agreed to in international, regional, and domestic fora. Deniers and those who ignore climate change, including some leaders of powerful states such as the U.S., make international cooperation and implementing solutions more difficult. The advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice issued on 23 July 2025 found that all nations must tackle climate change, and those that do not act could be obliged to pay reparations for the harm caused to the environment, which is both timely and important. Enacting bilateral and regional initiatives plays an important role in ensuring that people choosing or needing to leave their homes and relocate have options. No state can deal with migrants on their own: international cooperation, political will, and committed political leadership are needed to plan and coordinate solutions and humanely address the many challenges. While state security is a legitimate concern, history has demonstrated that building higher fences and walls is no answer. Pressures in one state or region, no matter how seemingly isolated, often lead to wider uncertainty and destabilization. Multinational, multisector and multistakeholder approaches, and the combined efforts of governments, the public and private sectors, and civil society across ideological lines, is the way forward and our only hope.”
As every challenge also sparks opportunities, climate migration is not an exception, creating new job roles in the international development sector. As governments and aid organizations try to respond to climate-induced displacement, new roles are emerging for professionals with relevant expertise. To find the best opportunities, the DevelopmentAid platform has designed the Individual Professional Membership, which offers access to around 5,000 job openings in international development, tenders, and grants for individuals, and contact information for the most relevant organisations and donors in the sector.
