Tuvalu urges decisive global action as rising seas threaten its future
4 日前
Prime Minister Feleti Teo of Tuvalu addresses the General Debate of the UN General Assembly’s 81st session.
Climate change remains the greatest existential threat to Tuvalu, Prime Minister Feleti Teo told the UN General Assembly on Friday, warning that the pace and scale of international action are still falling far short of what vulnerable island nations need.
“For Tuvalu, sea-level rise is not a future threat, it is a present reality,” he said, describing efforts by the Pacific island nation to protect both its physical territory and its identity as the climate crisis transforms its environment.
Mr. Teo said Tuvalu had already reclaimed 15.3 hectares of elevated, flood-free land on the capital island of Funafuti through its coastal adaptation project, with another 10 hectares being reclaimed.
For a country with only around 26 square kilometres of land, he said, that constituted a significant adjustment.
At the same time, Tuvalu is using digital technologies to preserve its sovereignty, institutions and national identity, including through an initiative designed to safeguard its culture and historical heritage in digital form.
The Prime Minister strongly welcomed the UN Political Declaration on Sea-Level Rise endorsed by Member States, describing it as a “monumental and gratifying achievement” for a country that had been at the forefront of efforts for such an agreement.
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