ArticleJune 20265 min read

Interview with the Minister of Home Affairs of Tuvalu

Published in Marine & Océans

Study Centre DMGO

Summary

An interview with Tuvalu’s Minister of Home Affairs on the archipelago’s adaptation to sea-level rise.

Article translated from French. The translation may contain inaccuracies: only the original version is authoritative. Read the original version

Full text transcribed from the original document.View the original version (PDF)

Interview with Maina Vakafua Talia, Minister of Home Affairs, Climate Change and Environment of Tuvalu

Interview by Amine Lehna

In Tuvalu, an archipelago of nine coral atolls in the heart of the Pacific between Hawaii and Australia, sea-level rise is no longer only an environmental question. It forces an entire state to choose how it intends to survive. Should the departure of part of the population be prepared, in the name of climate realism? Or should everything first be done so that Tuvaluans can go on living on their lands? Explanations.

This debate now runs through the archipelago’s political life. The Falepili Union treaty, signed with Australia in November 2023 and in force since August 2024, has opened a climate mobility pathway to Canberra, with 280 visas a year. It also recognises the continuity of Tuvaluan sovereignty despite rising waters. But it implicitly raises a question that many island states dread: at what point does adaptation become preparation for exile?

Maina Vakafua Talia, Minister of Home Affairs, Climate Change and Environment since February 2024, refuses to let this alternative become the only horizon. A theologian by training, involved for years in Tuvaluan climate networks, he is today one of the clearest voices for staying. He defends the idea that Tuvaluans must be able to remain on their ancestral lands without having to pay the price of a global warming they did not cause.

This position is no slogan. In a country whose average elevation is about two metres, staying means protecting drinking water, arable land, roads, schools, places of worship and cemeteries. It also means raising certain plots of land, adapting housing, defending territorial sovereignty and securing recognition of the continuity of the state, even if part of the territory became uninhabitable. It is in this light that the rapprochement between the minister and the French architect Jacques Rougerie, known for his commitment to island peoples and coastal territories, should be understood. The two men are working in particular on a project for a resilient museum, able to withstand rising waters and to preserve, on site, part of Tuvaluan culture and heritage. For Maina Talia, the point is not to produce yet another symbol around Tuvalu. It is to find partners able to work on concrete responses: adapted housing, raised land, protection of living spaces, communities remaining on site. What matters most is the line defended by the minister: rising seas must not make departure the only possible way out. This line has also been reflected in the field of heritage. With its ambassador to UNESCO, Tuvalu has launched an unprecedented process: securing recognition, across the archipelago’s nine islands and atolls, of a cultural landscape covering the whole of Tuvaluan territory. The procedure does not allow an entire nation to be inscribed on the World Heritage List in the abstract. Tuvalu has therefore built its nomination as a serial cultural property, made up of Nanumea, Niutao, Nanumanga, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti, Nukulaelae and Niulakita.

What does sea-level rise mean in practice for the daily lives of the people of Tuvalu?

Sea-level rise is no longer a distant threat for the people of Tuvalu; it is a reality we live with every day. It affects our homes, our land, our water resources and our livelihoods. We see the effects of climate change directly through coastal erosion, flooding and

saltwater intrusion. In some communities, this means protecting homes, monitoring freshwater reserves or adapting traditional crops to new conditions. These challenges force us to adapt and to rethink many of our ways of life and traditional practices. While we remain resilient, responding to these impacts remains difficult, particularly because of our limited resources and capacities. Nevertheless, our communities continue to work together to protect our islands and our way of life.

How do the people of Tuvalu imagine their future in the face of rising seas?

For the people of Tuvalu, abandoning our islands is not an option. Tuvalu is our home, our identity and our heritage. This is where our families, our ancestral lands, our places of memory, our traditions and our way of living together are. Sea-level rise forces us to adapt, but it must not force us to give up who we are.

Despite the challenges posed by climate change, we remain hopeful about the future of our nation. We believe that with determination, innovation and strong partnerships, Tuvalu can endure and prosper. This means strengthening our capacity to adapt and protecting our communities, our water resources, our land and our cultural heritage.

Our future depends not only on our own efforts but also on genuine cooperation with the international community. We need partners who understand that mobility can be an option, but that it must never replace our right to stay. Together, we can strengthen our resilience and ensure that future generations of Tuvaluans can continue to call these islands home.

Tuvalu has submitted an unprecedented nomination for UNESCO World Heritage recognition. What does the will to protect a nation’s heritage mean when that nation itself is threatened by the sea?

Our cultural heritage tells who we are as a people. It reflects our history, our traditions, our values, our resilience and our strength. While Tuvalu is vulnerable to the effects of climate change, that vulnerability must never define us. It is our resilience and determination that should be recognised and celebrated. Obtaining international recognition and protection for our cultural heritage is therefore of crucial importance. By seeking UNESCO World Heritage recognition for Tuvalu as a whole, we aim to preserve not only our physical landscapes but also the cultural identity and living traditions that have carried our people for generations.

What should the international community do today for Tuvalu and other island nations?

The international community must strengthen its cooperation and partnerships with Tuvalu and other vulnerable island nations. Climate change is a global challenge that demands collective action and shared responsibility. We need continued support for climate adaptation, sustainable development, resilience-building and responses to loss and damage. Above all, we need partners committed to standing with us to help secure a future we can pass on to our children and to future generations. By working together, we can ensure that small island nations do not merely survive, but continue to thrive in the face of climate change.

Note on the author

Director of Development and International Relations of the Fondation Jacques Rougerie – Académie des beaux-arts; President of the university think tank Deep Blue.