By Stefica Nicol Bikes

SYDNEY – Tuvalu’s foreign minister stated on Tuesday that the country is considering legal measures to protect its maritime areas and preserve recognition of Tuvalu as a sovereign state, even if it is totally submerged from climate change.

Simon Kofe (Minister) said that he is imagining a scenario in which he would be forced to leave his lands or have them submerged.

“We are exploring legal options that allow us to keep our ownership in our maritime zones and maintain our status as an international state. He said that these are the steps he is taking to look into the future.

Recently, images showing Kofe writing a speech for the United Nations COP26 summit on climate standing in the ocean have been shared extensively via social media. This has pleased the tiny nation of an island that wants to take aggressive steps to reduce the effects of climate change.

    “We didn’t think it would go viral as we saw over the last few days. That has been a great surprise and we hope it carries the message home and highlights the current challenges in Tuvalu,” Kofe shared.

Tuvalu, an island of approximately 11,000 inhabitants, is only 4.5m (15 feet) above the sea level. According to an Australian government report, the sea level has risen by approximately 0.5cm (0.22 inches) annually since 1993.

Kofe stated that he gave the video address at COP26 Tuesday in a location that was once dry, and that Tuvalu is experiencing a lot more coastal erosion.

Kofe responded to a question regarding the attitudes of Tuvaluans towards rising sea levels. Some older people said they were happy for the land to sink, and others left.

Kofe stated, “The only thing that is certain is that people are very connected to their land.”