Tuvalu: Barely above water

On October 5, world leaders will witness the stark impact of climate change on the Pacific nation of Tuvalu during a pre-COP meeting hosted by Fiji. The island nation, situated 800 km north of Fiji, is already grappling with the consequences of a marine heatwave in 2024, which wiped out nearly all the coral reefs that formed the islands. Marine biologist Austin Bowden-Kerby, who visited the island last year, documented the devastating effects, stating that the "very system that created the islands has died."

Scientists fear that due to rising sea levels, the entire archipelago could become uninhabitable by the end of the century. Local scientist Rajneel Singh reported that climate change has already affected the waters that sustained Tuvalu's population of 10,600. "Elders used to fish for red snappers and other things," Singh said. "It's no longer frequent in the catch. And the size of the fish has been reduced as well."

Despite being presented with evidence of the catastrophic situation during a meeting with Tuvalu's fisheries minister in December, the minister reportedly remained unaware of the severity of the issue. Singh emphasized the difficulty the minister had in comprehending the photos and stories about the crisis.