Tuvalu will become the world’s first digital nation as it builds itself into the metaverse
In the South Pacific archipelago of Tuvalu is planning to create a version of itself in the metaverse, as a response to the existential threat of rising sea levels. On Nov. 15 the country’s foreign minister, Simon Kofe, told the COP27 climate summit that it is looking for alternative ways to protect the county’s heritage against rising sea levels brought on by climate change. One of those ways is through recreating itself in the metaverse. Metaverse preserves Tuvalu: island to turn to Web3 technology, it will become the world’s first digital nation as it builds itself into the metaverse.
The Republic of Tuvalu is an archipelago of nine islands between Australia and Hawaii. It’s home to approximately 12,000 people living in extreme poverty on the islands. Scientists predict that the entire country will be underwater by 2100 due to climate change.
He said the plan, which accounts for the “worst case scenario”, involves creating a digital twin of Tuvalu as a digitized nation in the toto replicate its beautiful islands and preserve its rich culture:
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.
The idea is that the metaverse might allow Tuvalu to “fully function as a sovereign state” as its people are forced to live somewhere else.
According to a report from the UNs, up to 4percentnt of the nation’s capital district is submerged at high tide, and by the end of this century, all of the country will be underwater.
Tuvalu will become the world’s first digital nation as it builds itself into the metaverse. As Minister of Information Technology and Posts Alofa Aulua noted: “The land, ocean, and culture of our people are our most precious assets, and no matter what happens in the physical world, they will be kept safe in the cloud.” He further added,”Islands like this one won’t survive rapid temperature increases, rising sea levels, and droughts, so that we will recreate them virtually.”
While Tuvalu is one of the few sovereign nations yet to recreate itself in the metaverse, many countries have already begun exploring the digital frontier.
Although Tuvalu could become the first sovereign nation to recreate itself in the metaverse, other countries have already begun their own explorations into the digital frontier.
In 2021, the Caribbean island nation of Barbados opened up an embassy in the Decentraland metaverse and was the first to do so. An indigenous tribe in Australia had also laid out plans for opening an embassy in the metaverse earlier this year.
Other countries have begun offering services in the metaverse. Norway recently opened up a branch of its federal tax offices in the metaverse in order to reach its next generation of users. The United Arab Emirates set up a new headquarters for its Ministry of Economy on virtual land.
Major tech-forward cities such as Seoul, South Korea and Santa Monica, California have also created digital counterparts.
