How Tuvalu is using digital technology to save itself from rising seas

Tuvalu is a low-lying archipelago of 9 small islands in the South Pacific. Half of its capital, Fogafale, could be underwater by 2050 due to rising sea levels.

Tuvalu is using digital technology to save itself from rising seas. Sensors mounted on aircraft scanned Tuvalu's coasts, precisely mapping the height and depth of more than 500 km2 of land and seafloor. Engineers used this data to model the effects of future sea level rises and to design the most effective coastal defenses.

The Coastal Adaptation Project will create 7.3 hectares of new land around 3 islands, protecting them from rising sea levels and storm surges well beyond the end of this century. This $38.9 million project is underpinned by digital technology.

Other threatened island nations are taking different approaches to rising sea levels. Fiji is moving villages to higher ground to save them from rising sea levels. The Maldives is building a floating city within a 200-hectare lagoon to protect itself. The Marshall Islands is considering raising itself using material dredged from the ocean floor.

Tuvalu is a leading example of how digital technology can be used to protect coastal communities from the effects of climate change. Other island nations can learn from Tuvalu's experience and use digital technology to save themselves from rising seas.

Here's more about how Tuvalu is using technology to tackle sea level rise.