Tuvalu, a Pacific Island nation of 11,200 people, is forecast to be the first country to become uninhabitable due to climate change. In response, it has successfully negotiated the first legally binding climate migration agreement for the emigration of its citizens to another country, specifically Australia.
The bilateral Falepili Union, which was signed late last year, came into effect in August and aims to be operational by mid-2025. It will initially provide 280 Tuvalu citizens, or 2.5 percent of the population, with a voluntary, self-funded legal pathway to emigrate to Australia each year as permanent residents with access to education, employment, state services and a pathway to citizenship. Canberra also agreed to provide Tuvalu with more than $11 million in funding for climate adaptation to build coastal protection infrastructure, as well as aid in times of disasters and military threats. The pact also expands bilateral security cooperation.
Experts believe that the Falepili Union could set a global precedent for other countries and regions where worsening climate extremes will exert greater stresses on human life this century.