The tiny Pacific Island nation of Tuvalu is facing a threat that many cannot even comprehend. Climate change has put Tuvalu in an unenviable position. In order to help raise awareness, they have created a unique way to reveal their plight. While an innovative use of an emerging medium, the message also carries a haunting undertone of the impact of humanity.
With a population below 12,000, Tuvalu is the fourth smallest country in the world. Due to the way each of the islands and atolls has formed, Tuvalu is at a precipice. Global warming is seeing sea levels constantly rising, threatening to put the nation entirely underwater.
Recognising the global change that needs to be made to save the nation, the small voice that Tuvalu needed to reach a global community. In November 2022, the United Nations Climate Change Conference was held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. While not directly part of the summit, Tuvalu’s Minister of Justice, Communication & Foreign Affairs, Simon Kofe, provided a video calling for support.
The video comes with a twist though. In calling for support to address climate change, Kofe appears to be standing on one of the lush beaches of Tuvalu. However, it is slowly revealed that he is standing in a virtual recreation of Tuvalu, built in the metaverse.
The likelihood is that this small nation will not be around much longer. As a result, they have recreated all of Tuvalu online, meaning the only way to explore it in the future could be in the metaverse. Kofe states that the entire nation could lose its physical home, meaning it would have to “move its country entirely online.”
While most still view the metaverse with hesitation and skepticism, this is a powerful way to highlight its potential. The idea of the metaverse is to create virtual worlds for people to live in. It is a sobering thought that this emerging technology could also be used to ‘save’ parts of our world that we may lose.