Highlights and Introduction
Tuvalu participates in the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework to take stock of national progress towards its commitment to achieving the goal of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) and its seven global targets, using the four priorities for action to prevent new, and reduce existing, disaster risks. Tuvalu considers the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework an ideal opportunity to identify and strengthen existing disaster risk reduction good practices, and explore opportunities for collaboration to better mitigate disaster risks in Tuvalu.
Tuvalu is recognized internationally as one of the most climate-vulnerable states on Earth.
Tuvalu’s geographical and physical characteristics, and close location to cyclone belts, make it extremely vulnerable to climate-induced disasters and extreme weather events such as cyclones, coastal flooding, storm surge and drought. The low topology puts inhabitants at risk of submerging under sea level as a result of the accelerated adverse impacts of climate change.
Tuvalu is a small island state located in the central Pacific, consisting of nine islands, which has a total land area of only 26 square kilometres (km2) and a population of approximately 11,792 as of 2020. Its average height above sea level is less than three metres and none of the islands is five metres above sea level.
Tuvalu’s atolls are extremely exposed to projected sealevel rise, increased severity of cyclones, severe coastal erosion and land loss, increases in ocean temperatures, and ocean acidification.
Climate-induced disasters present a considerable challenge to the sustainable economic development of Tuvalu. The Tuvalu climate risk profile developed by the World Bank indicated that losses due to hazards could be expected to be an average of USD0.2 million per year and that in the next 50 years, Tuvalu has a 50 per cent chance of experiencing a loss exceeding USD4 million.
Moreover, in 2015, for example, nearly 20 per cent of Tuvalu’s GDP was lost due to the damage caused by tropical cyclone (TC) Pam on properties and appliances, and loss to plantations and livestock. A total budget of AUD99.2 million was needed by the government to support affected islands in rebuilding and recovering from the effects of TC Pam.
Most recently, in November 2022, Tuvalu declared a state of public emergency due to a prolonged drought that caused a nationwide water shortage.