Government of Tuvalu 8°31′S 179°12′E · Funafuti
Tuvalu Office of the Ambassador to UNESCO
and Special Envoy to the Commonwealth
Small wooded islets and white surf on the rim of a Tuvaluan atoll, seen from above

Talofa, and welcome

Nine islands, four metres above the sea

Tuvalu is the fourth-smallest country in the world, and one of the most exposed to rising seas. This office carries its case to the Commonwealth, UNESCO and the UN climate negotiations.

Tuvalu’s climate position Meet the Ambassador
Islets on an atoll rim — Michael Coghlan from Adelaide, Australia · CC BY-SA 2.0

The arithmetic

The highest ground in Tuvalu is lower than a two-storey house

Tuvalu’s nine islands add up to 26 square kilometres of land, spread across about 600 kilometres of ocean and home to about 10,600 people. The highest natural point is 4.6 metres above sea level.

Year
2100
Rise since 1995–2014
+0.77 m
Higher than 2026
+69 cm
Likely range
0.63–1.01 m
Schematic cross-section of a Tuvaluan atoll rim against projected sea-level rise The highest natural point in Tuvalu is about 4.6 metres above sea level. The IPCC projects global mean sea-level rise of 0.63 to 1.01 metres by 2100 under a very high emissions scenario. 1 m1 m2 m2 m3 m3 m4 m4 m5 m5 m 4.6 m: highest natural point 2100: +0.77 m Average sea level, 1995–2014
Fig. 2 Schematic atoll profile, vertical scale exaggerated. Projections: IPCC AR6, Table 9.9, global mean sea level, median and likely range relative to 1995–2014. The IPCC publishes values for 2030, 2050, 2090 and 2100; the years between are interpolated. Local sea level at Tuvalu can differ, and king tides and storm surge add to this.

Where we are

A chain of atolls between Kiribati and Fiji

From Nanumea in the north-west to Niulakita in the south-east, Tuvalu’s islands are rings of coral reef and sand around sheltered lagoons. Funafuti, the capital, is home to more than half the population.

Funafuti seen from an aircraft: a narrow strip of land and houses between ocean and lagoon
Funafuti from the approachRosodo · CC BY-SA 4.0
Map of the nine islands of Tuvalu The nine islands run north-west to south-east from Nanumea to Niulakita across roughly 600 kilometres of the central Pacific. Funafuti, the capital, is in the south. 176°E177°E178°E179°E180°E6°S7°S8°S9°S10°S11°S Nanumea 5.67°S 176.12°E Nanumanga 6.29°S 176.32°E Niutao 6.11°S 177.34°E Nui 7.22°S 177.16°E Vaitupu 7.48°S 178.68°E Nukufetau 8.00°S 178.37°E Funafuti ★ capital 8.52°S 179.20°E Nukulaelae 9.38°S 179.85°E Niulakita 10.78°S 179.48°E 100 km N
Fig. 1 Tuvalu’s nine islands. Rings are atolls, dots are reef islands. Positions approximate; islands not to scale.

Life on the islands

Community life gathers in the maneapa, the meeting hall at the heart of every island, where the fatele, a dance-song that starts slowly and builds to a loud finish, is performed at every celebration.

Dancers in orange and red costumes with flower garlands performing a fatele in a crowded maneapa
A fatele in a Funafuti maneapaJialiangGao · CC BY-SA 4.0
A group of smiling children and adults sitting together on Niutao island
Families on NiutaoCesqld · Public domain
Inside a maneapa, the community meeting hall: people seated on mats beneath an open roof
Inside a maneapaRafael Ávila Coya · CC BY-SA 3.0
Tuvaluan dancers in pink and green performing outdoors in front of a decorated pavilion
Tuvaluan dancers in performanceAdana Dobranis · CC BY 4.0
Green vegetation in the foreground and wooded islets across the lagoon at Nukufetau
Nukufetau atollDavid Stanley · CC BY 4.0
Silhouettes of people on a sea wall against a golden sunset and dramatic clouds
“For Tuvalu and all small island states, this is not abstract policy; it is our future.”
H.E. Shiv Shankar Nair · Global Principles for Addressing Climate Mobility, 2026 · Biography
Sunset over the lagoon — INABA Tomoaki · CC BY-SA 2.0
Excavator working on newly reclaimed land behind a sandbag wall on Funafuti
Land reclamation, Funafuti, 2025JialiangGao · CC BY-SA 4.0

Adaptation

Building higher ground on Funafuti

On Funafuti, new land is being raised above the reach of storm surges. Tuvalu has written its permanent statehood into its Constitution, signed the Falepili Union with Australia, and begun keeping a digital record of the nation, its land and its culture.

How Tuvalu is responding

Common questions

What people want to know about Tuvalu

A traditional thatched meeting house standing in seawater during flooding on Funafuti

Sea-level rise

Is Tuvalu sinking?

The land is not sinking, but the sea around it has risen about 14 cm at Funafuti since 1993. What that means, and what is being done.

The Australian High Commission building in Vaiaku, Funafuti

Treaty

What is the Falepili Union?

The 2023 treaty with Australia that gives up to 280 Tuvaluans a year the choice to move, with permanent residency.

Quick facts: the capital is Funafuti, the population is about 10,600, the languages are Tuvaluan and English, and the flag carries nine stars, one for each island.

Dispatches

Latest from the office

  1. October 2026
    Adaptation

    New land on Funafuti draws regional attention ahead of UN climate talks

    Pacific leaders are watching Tuvalu’s land reclamation work on Funafuti as the next UN climate summit approaches.

  2. June 2026
    Climate mobility

    Tuvalu leads delegation to the Berlin Climate Mobility Forum

    The Ambassador headed Tuvalu’s delegation to the second Berlin Climate Mobility Forum, where the Global Principles for Addressing Climate Mobility were adopted. The Ambassador reports that 57 member states have endorsed them.

  3. May 2026
    Falepili Union

    Second Falepili Mobility Pathway ballot opens

    Registration for the 2026–27 ballot under the Tuvalu–Australia Falepili Union opened on 1 May 2026, offering up to 280 places.

All news & statements