tuvalu case study a level geography

Geography and History of Tuvalu

Tuvalu and the Impacts Global Warming

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• M.A., Geography, California State University - East Bay
• B.A., English and Geography, California State University - Sacramento

Tuvalu is a tiny island country located in Oceania about halfway between the state of Hawaii and the nation of Australia. It consists of five coral atolls and four reef islands but none are more than 15 feet (5 meters) above sea level. Tuvalu has one of the world's smallest economies and has recently been featured in the news as it is becoming increasingly threatened by global warming and rising sea levels.

Basic Facts

Population: 11,147 (July 2018 estimate)

Capital: Funafuti (also Tuvalu's largest city)

Area: 10 square miles (26 sq km)

Coastline: 15 miles (24 km)

Official Languages: Tuvaluan and English

Ethnic Groups: 96% Polynesian, 4% Other

History of Tuvalu

The islands of Tuvalu were first inhabited by Polynesian settlers from Samoa and/or Tonga and they were left largely untouched by Europeans until the 19th century. In 1826, the whole island group became known to Europeans and was mapped. By the 1860s, labor recruiters began arriving on the islands and removing its inhabitants either by force and/or bribe to work on sugar plantations in Fiji and Australia. Between 1850 and 1880, the population of the islands fell from 20,000 to just 3,000.

As a result of its decline in population, the British government annexed the islands in 1892. At this time, the islands became known as the Ellice Islands and in 1915-1916, the islands were formally taken over by the British and formed a part of the colony called Gilbert and Ellice Islands.

In 1975, the Ellice Islands separated from the Gilbert Islands due to hostilities between the Micronesian Gilbertese and the Polynesian Tuvaluans. Once the islands separated, they became known officially as Tuvalu. The name Tuvalu means "eight islands" and although there are nine islands comprising the country today, only eight were initially inhabited so the ninth is not included in its name.

Tuvalu was granted full independence on September 30, 1978, but is still a part of the British Commonwealth today. In addition, Tuvalu grew in 1979 when the U.S. gave the country four islands that had been U.S. territories and in 2000, it joined the United Nations .

Economy of Tuvalu

Today Tuvalu has the distinction of being one of the smallest economies in the world. This is because the coral atolls on which its people are populated have extremely poor soils. Therefore, the country has no known mineral exports and it is largely unable to produce agricultural exports, making it dependent on imported goods. In addition, its remote location means tourism and the related service industries are mainly non-existent.

Subsistence farming is practiced in Tuvalu and to produce the largest agricultural yield possible, pits are dug out of the coral. The most widely grown crops in Tuvalu are taro and coconut. In addition, copra (the dried flesh of a coconut used in making coconut oil) is a major part of Tuvalu's economy.

Fishing has also played an historic role in Tuvalu's economy because the islands have a maritime exclusive economic zone of 500,000 square miles (1.2 million sq km) and because the region is a rich fishing ground, the country gains revenue from fees paid by other countries such as the U.S. wanting to fish in the region.

Geography and Climate of Tuvalu

Tuvalu is one of the smallest countries on Earth. It is in Oceania south of Kiribati and halfway between Australia and Hawaii. Its terrain consists of low lying, narrow coral atolls and reefs and it is spread over nine islands which stretch for just 360 miles (579 km). Tuvalu's lowest point is the Pacific Ocean at sea level and the highest is an unnamed location on the island of Niulakita at only 15 feet (4.6 m). The largest city in Tuvalu is Funafuti with a population of 5,300 as of 2003.

Six of the nine islands comprising Tuvalu have lagoons open to the ocean, while two have landlocked regions and one has no lagoons. In addition, none of the islands have any streams or rivers and because they are coral atolls , there is no drinkable ground water. Therefore, all of the water used by Tuvalu's people is gathered via catchment systems and is kept in storage facilities.

Tuvalu's climate is tropical and is moderated by easterly trade winds from March to November. It has a heavy rain season with westerly winds from November to March and although tropical storms are rare, the islands are prone to flooding with high tides and changes in sea level.

Tuvalu, Global Warming, and Rising Sea Levels

Recently, Tuvalu has gained significant media attention worldwide because its low-lying land is so susceptible to rising sea levels. The beaches surrounding the atolls are sinking due to erosion caused by waves and this is exacerbated by rising sea levels. In addition, because the sea level is rising on the islands, Tuvaluans must continually deal with their homes flooding, as well as soil salination. Soil salination is a problem because it is making it difficult to get clean drinking water and is harming crops as they cannot grow with the saltier water. As a result, the country is becoming more and more dependent on foreign imports.

The issue of rising sea levels has been a concern for Tuvalu since 1997 when the country began a campaign to show the need to control greenhouse gas emissions, reduce global warming and protect the future of low lying countries. In more recent years though, the flooding and soil salination have become such a problem in Tuvalu that the government there has made plans to evacuate the entire population to other countries as it is believed that Tuvalu will be completely submerged by the end of the 21st century.

Resources and Further Reading

• Central Intelligence Agency. (2010, April 22). CIA The World Factbook -- Tuvalu .
• Infoplease.com. (n.d.) Tuvalu: History, Geography, Government, and Culture - Infoplease.com .
• United States Department of State. (2010, February). Tuvalu (02/10).
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Notes from Tuvalu: Leading the way in adapting to sea-level rise

July 19, 2023.

Work begins to protect Tuvalu from rising sea levels.

Dr Arthur Webb

Coastal Adaptation Specialist, CTA Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project, UNDP

Yusuke Taishi

Senior Technical Advisor, Climate Change Adaptation, UNDP

Srilata Kammila

Head of Climate Change Adaptation, UNDP

Pradeep Kurukulasuriya

Director and Executive Coordinator, Nature, Climate and Energy, UNDP

In the Pacific Island country of Tuvalu, the sea level has been quietly creeping upwards for years. By 2050, it is estimated that half the capital, Fogafale, will be flooded by tidal waters. With climate change posing a risk to infrastructure, food security and energy supply, 95 percent of land is projected to be flooded by routine high tides by 2100 if no action is taken. 

With the threat of  sea level rise climbing at unpreceden ted  rates  –not just in Tuvalu, but in all island nations– the implications seep into everything: from contaminated fresh groundwater, to hampered food crop cultivation to loss of woodland vegetation and soils, resulting in uninhabitable land. 

Yet despite these risks, for many years data about exactly how sea level rise is affecting islands like Tuvalu ­has been lacking. And without understanding the timelines and scale of the problem, it’s hard to design the right solution. 

Building better data 

UNDP has supported the Government of Tuvalu to meet their Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) priorities on  adaptation , particularly relating to  coastal adaptation . State-of-the-art aircraft-mounted Light Detection and Ranging technology, also known as LIDAR, has been used to rapidly  collect precise information on land surface height and sea floor depth. Data was collected in all of Tuvalu’s nine atoll systems, including islands and surrounding reefs and lagoons, amounting to around 500 square kilometres in total - the equivalent of just under 61,000 soccer fields.

The data has informed best possible timelines for sea level rise and storm wave impact and underpins the coastal adaptation work of t he Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project,  providing a wave inundation modelling platform and shoreline monitoring system.  

The Government of Tuvalu’s approach to coastal adaptation represents a paradigm shift in the region. Given that the option of retreating to higher ground is not possible, it is creating 7.3 hectares of new and raised land which is designed to remain well above sea levels in 2100 and to withstand large storms under higher sea levels. 

The design of this multimillion-dollar coastal adaptation infrastructure on the capital Fogafale (Funafuti Atoll) and outer rural islands of Nanumaga and Nanumea aims to secure communities from future marine hazards.

The infrastructure works, financed by Green Climate Fund and the Government of Australia, and implemented by the Government of Tuvalu and UNDP, have almost reached the halfway mark in Fogafale, and when finished, will provide flood-free land, safe from sea level rise until at least 2100.

Before and after

The design of a multimillion-dollar coastal adaptation infrastructure on the capital Fogafale and the islands of Nanumaga and Nanumea aims to secure communities from hazards.

Now, the Tuvalu government and UNDP are developing the ’ Te Lafiga o Tuvalu’ (Tuvalu’s Refuge) a Long-Term Adaptation Plan (L-TAP), that presents a new approach to adaptation, and is designed to provide comprehensive national solutions to sea level rise beyond 2100. 

The vision is 3.6 square kilometres of raised, safe land with staged relocation of people and infrastructure over time; a sustainable water supply; greater food and energy security; government offices, schools, and hospitals. As well as a safe, fit for purpose shipping port and airport.

Building safe, raised flood-free land

L-TAP is the first technically feasible, national adaptation plan founded in science and consistent with known sea level rise. While initiatives such as this offer hope in adapting to the consequences of climate change,  clearly, long-term adaptation will depend on much more . Concerted efforts are required to unblock the flow of private capital to Tuvalu and address macroeconomic factors and increase economic growth.

It is also critical to recognize the “loss and damage” implications for countries like Tuvalu. These societies are the first to pay the price of climate change and emissions released in other parts of the world. Yet they are also the ones leading the way in confronting climate challenges and demonstrating that change is possible, with courage, foresight, and imagination. The rest of the world must step up without delay. 

Launched in 2017, with backing from the global  Green Climate Fund and in partnership with the  United Nations Development Programme , the  Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project aims to reduce exposure to coastal hazards and to develop a long-term coastal adaptation strategy for the country. 

As a remote and small island, no development agencies, including UNDP, had experience of providing development assistance  in the extreme context of fragile islands, scattered in the South Pacific Ocean . But building on two previous Least Developed Countries Fund projects–made possible with GEF financing– development agencies and the government have gained critical insights to define challenges and find solutions, to leave no one behind.

A state-of-the-art online platform was launched by the Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project and project partner the Pacific Community, with the Government of Tuvalu. For the first time, the platform will allow the atoll nation to identify, plan for, and reduce risks from sea level rise and more frequent storms driven by climate change.  

The Government of Tuvalu is creating 7.3 hectares of raised land which is designed to remain well above sea levels in 2100.

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• Created by: Charlotte Curness
• Created on: 16-04-14 20:58

Threats and vulnerability

• all land is below 5m above sea level
• 1-2mm sea level rise per year
• risks of flooding from high tide/tropical storms
• economy reliant on subsistence farming
• rising sea level can ruin crops - porous …
• climate change

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Tuvalu - Islands on the frontline of climate change

Panos Pictures, panos Prictures

This narrated slideshow describes the impact of sea level rise on Tuvalu, one of the low-lying island nations in the South Pacific. As the frequency and intensity of floods and cyclones increases, the island is shrinking and saltwater intrusion is affecting local food production on the plantations. As a result, many residents are moving off the island to New Zealand, where they face major cultural changes.

Notes from our reviewers

The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness. Read what our review team had to say about this resource below or learn more about how CLEAN reviews teaching materials .

• Teaching Tips The short slideshow will enhance discussions of the impacts of sea level rise. Given the approach - the human side of sea level rise - slideshow could be used as a conversation-starter with students. This resource can be used in a variety of types of lessons in geography, climate change, environmental science and anthropology. See urls below of other resources on this topic.
• About the Science Scientists present data and projections that suggest that, by the end of the century, the oceans could be one meter or more above their current levels. Coastal regions will be flooded and low-lying nations such as the tiny South Pacific country of Tuvalu could be submerged. Resource provides a clear example of the impact that climate change is having on both the physical and social-cultural aspects of life on a low-lying island. Comments from expert scientist: This product appears to be more of a documentary focusing on the social impacts of climate change and sea level rise in small island states. It focuses on social science product and most of the observations are qualitative in nature. Makes connection between rising sea levels and other factors that influence inundation (e.g. seasonal variability, high tides, wind swell, and tropical cyclones)
• About the Pedagogy No background materials or Teacher's guide accompanying this video. Overall impact of the resource is emotionally manipulative - may not appeal to all audiences.
• Technical Details/Ease of Use The quality of the photos is very high. The presentation is understated and effective.

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Imaginative Geographies of Climate Change Induced Displacements and Migrations: A Case Study of Tuvalu

Since climate change is both about physicality (physical transformations) and the ideational (various ideas, understandings and representations), it is more revealing and enlightening to focus on the interplay between the two. Taking Tuvalu, a small Island country in the Pacific with 10,509 inhabitants as my case study, and against the backdrop of highly alarmist geopolitical discourses about climate change in the small islands of the Pacific. I make the following argument in this paper. The so-called 'endangered nation' of Tuvalu is a revealing example of how displacements and migrations are likely to be caused (rather forced) more due to the government policy responses anchored in the imagined geographies of fear i.e. in anticipation of climate change consequences) than by material transformations in the environment per-se. Through a critical engagement with the official discourses, scholarly articles and media reporting, I further argue and illustrate that the discourse of climate displacements and relocations has a far more complex geography to it than normally acknowledged.

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Carol Farbotko , Elaine Stratford

New evidence is emerging to suggest that climate change mobility is giving effect to changing forms of island identity among Tuvaluans and i-Kiribati. This nascent shift prompts a number of questions addressed in this paper. What, for example, does climate change migration mean for island identity and its geographic performance? How does the spatialization of identity inform shared experiences of climate change, and how does identity assist in the formation of shared positions from which to advocate for change? Drawing on discourses of sedentarism and mobilization among Tuvaluan and i-Kiribati, we explore performances of identity related to climate change being fashioned and refashioned in different contexts.

Asia Pacific Viewpoint

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This is the third article in a three-part special issue titled "Pacific Islands, Extreme Environments" edited by Andrea E. Murray. Murray's review of a documentary film about the present-day consequences of climate change in Papua New Guinea provides an ethnographic complement to the other two articles in the series: Ilan Kelman's piece on the challenges of multiscalar governance in Small Island Developing States, and Tarique Niazi's inquiry into the fate of so-called "climate refugees" in the Asia-Pacific. In this review, Murray argues for the power and urgency of multimedia research and reporting in places most immediately affected by rising sea levels. The author also questions the pervasive belief that certain dwindling human populations and cultural practices can be "saved" by relocation to a more densely populated mainland.

Peter Rudiak-Gould

The citizens of the Marshall Islands have been told that sea level rise and other impacts of climate change will doom their low-lying country, and they have seen evidence in the land, air, and sea to confirm it. This book investigates how grassroots Marshallese society has interpreted and responded to this threat. Islanders triangulate between observations of ecological and cosmic change; media, government, and NGO translations of climate science; and informal exegesis of Genesis and Revelation passages that speak to climate change. With Biblical, historical, and psychological grounds to dismiss the threat, Marshall Islanders have instead largely embraced it. With reasons to forswear guilt and responsibility, they have instead adopted in-group blame and worked to reduce the country’s carbon footprint. Having been instructed that mass resettlement is inevitable, they have vowed instead to retain the homeland through adaptation measures. These predominant responses are understandable in light of a pre-existing Marshallese narrative of cultural decline and seduction by American modernity, inspired by a long history of contact with powerful foreigners and their colonial, economic, and military agendas. Climate change is understood to be both cause and consequence of ‘living by money,’ and its final act, the destruction of the archipelago, is considered the ultimate triumph of modernity. This case study illuminates islander agency at the intersection of the local and the global, and suggests a theory of risk perception based on ideological commitment to narratives of historical progress and decline.

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'One day we'll disappear': Tuvalu's sinking islands

Rising seas are on the verge of swallowing two of the tiny archipelago’s nine islands, and the encroaching waves haunt locals’ dreams

O n the hottest days, Leitu Frank feels like she can’t breathe any more. The housewife and mother of five decamps from her airless concrete home to catch the breeze in a simple wooden shack by the water’s edge. She folds washing and stares out at the unsettled turquoise sea, its moods and rhythms increasingly unpredictable, as its rising proximity threatens to strangle her family.

“The sea is eating all the sand,” says Frank, 32, dressed in a pink stretchy T-shirt and faded sarong.

“Before, the sand used to stretch out far, and when we swam we could see the sea floor, and the coral. Now, it is cloudy all the time, and the coral is dead. Tuvalu is sinking.”

“Tuvalu is sinking” is the local catch-all phrase for the effects of climate change on this tiny island archipelago on the frontline of global warming. A Polynesian country situated in Oceania, Tuvalu is no more than a speck in the Pacific ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia.

The fourth smallest nation in the world, Tuvalu is home to just 11,000 people, most of whom live on the largest island of Fongafale, where they are packed in and fighting for space. Tuvalu’s total land area accounts for less than 26 sq km.

Already, two of Tuvalu’s nine islands are on the verge of going under, the government says, swallowed by sea-rise and coastal erosion. Most of the islands sit barely three metres above sea level, and at its narrowest point, Fongafale stretches just 20m across.

During storms, waves batter the island from the east and the west, “swallowing” the country, in the words of the locals. Many say they have nightmares that the sea will soon gobble them up for good, and not just as a distant fear in their slumber – but by the next generation. Scientists predict Tuvalu could become uninhabitable in the next 50 to 100 years. Locals say they feel it could be much sooner.

Nausaleta Setani, Frank’s aunt, sleeps beside the lagoon at night in the wooden shack, using a float buoy as a pillow. Initially a non-believer in climate change, like many older people on the island, Setani has slowly become convinced of the science as her daily life becomes tougher with every erratic movement of the sea.

Nausaleta Setani with her nephew in a makeshift structure they use for sleeping, near the Funafuti lagoon

“The weather is changing very quickly, day to day, hour to hour,” says Setani, 54, paradoxically soothed and disturbed by the ocean lapping metres away from her hut.

“I have been learning the things that are happening are the result of man, especially [from] other countries. It makes me sad. But I understand other countries do what is best for their people. I am from a small country. All I want is for the bigger countries to respect us, and think of our lives.”

The United Nations Development Programme classifies Tuvalu as a resource poor, “least-developed country”, that is “extremely vulnerable” to the effects of climate change. Porous, salty soil has made the ground almost totally useless for planting, destroying staple pulaka crops and decreasing the yields of various fruits and vegetables.

Starchy Pacific Island staples such as taro and cassava now have to be imported at great expense, along with most other food.

Since the rising ocean contaminated underwater ground supplies, Tuvalu is now totally reliant on rainwater, and droughts are occurring with alarming frequency. Even if the locals could plant successfully, there is now not enough rain to keep even simple kitchen gardens alive.

Scenes of Funafuti: a typical home, and freshly caught fish

The Frank family spend around AU$200 (£105) a fortnight on groceries, a bill that keeps rising as the fruit on the trees that ring their modest home – breadfruit, bananas and pandanus – fail to ripen, and fall to the sandy ground, inedible and rotten.

The fish too, the stuff of life here, have become suspect. Ciguatera poisoning affects reef fish who have ingested micro-algaes expelled by bleached coral. When fish infected with these ciguatera toxins are consumed by humans, it causes an immediate and sometimes severe illness: vomiting, fevers and diarrhoea.

At the local hospital, a specialist department has been set up to study and manage climate change-related illnesses.

Around ten Tuvaluans present with ciguatera poisoning every week, accounting for about 10% of the weekly case-load of climate-related illnesses. Suria Eusala Paufolau (left, or above on mobile), acting chief of public health, says cases of fish poisoning began to climb a decade ago; around the same time the weather really started to go haywire.

Climate-related illnesses that have increased on par with the changing weather include influenza, fungal diseases, conjunctivitis, and dengue fever, according to the hospital’s research.

Higher daily temperatures are also putting people at daily risk of dehydration, heatstroke and heat rashes, Paufolau says.

“Generally the local population does not see the link between climate change and health. But there is always a sense of fear about what is happening to our home.”

‘Evacuating is a last resort’

Tuvalu is heavily reliant on foreign aid, with most of its GDP made up from donations from the UN and neighbouring countries.

Education and employment prospects on the island are limited, and the majority of young people whose families can afford it leave to study in Fiji, Australia or New Zealand – a “brain drain” that has been extensively documented .

But as climate change batters the seashore, a trickle of young Tuvaluans are returning, even if coming home can feel claustrophobic after the freedoms of life beyond the islands.

Tapua Pasuna, 24, was crowned Miss Tuvalu last year, and used her platform to campaign for women’s rights and education.

The daughter of the country’s third female MP, Pasuna describes herself as “floating” since she returned from university studies in New Zealand, and says she was drawn back to the island by extensive family obligations, and a sense of responsibility to do what she could for the archipelago.

Tapua Pasuna, 24, crowned Miss Tuvalu 2018

“I left in 2010. When I came back I immediately noticed the difference. The heat is sometimes unbearable now, and the erosion is also dramatic. Some of my favourite spots have disappeared,” says Pasuna, sitting in a stiff-backed wooden chair in her tropical garden, the barely constructed seawall just metres from her home.

“I feel like this is a part of who I am and I shouldn’t just run away from it, even though it’s disappearing. To just abandon it at such a time as this, when it is hurting – I don’t feel comfortable. I don’t feel like I can do that.”

If this sounds like a tidal wave of despair, the mood on the ground is far less acute. When planes aren’t expected, children ride their bikes and play volleyball on the country’s airstrip, while young courting couples take lazy laps on their motorbikes.

In the afternoons, people snooze in hammocks for hours, and light campfires on the beaches to fry fish and keep the mosquitoes away. A sleepy, sanguine air permeates day-to-day life, as locals watch the lapping of the waves move ever closer.

“Come what may,” locals say again and again, quoting the prime minister, “God will save us.”

The largest building in the capital, Funafuti, is Government House, a three-storey white monolith that houses the offices of the country’s MPs. Tuvalu’s official government policy is to stay on the island – “come what may”.

Plans for adapting to climate change include the ongoing – and much delayed – construction of a sea wall to protect the administrative centre of the capital, funded by the UNDP .

The local town council has a plan to dredge and reclaim land at the south of Fongafale, raise the land 10 metres above sea level, and build high-density housing. It is a plan that would cost US$300m (£233m), and that so far has no funding.

Fongafale island, home to the Tuvaluan capital, Funafuti

Other options – such as constructing a floating island – are also being explored, as is importing refuse from Australian mines to construct an energy wall to ring the atolls, breaking up the power of the sea as it smashes towards the islands. How the reef ecosystem would survive such a wall has not been explained.

Evacuating the islands is the last resort, says Tuvalu’s prime minister, Enele Sopoaga, despite frequent talk from Pacific neighbours that Tuvaluans will become the world’s first climate-change refugees.

Enele Sopoaga, prime minister of Tuvalu

Many government officials openly express anger at the election of Donald Trump , saying his climate change scepticism has precipitated a huge step back for global cooperation on climate issues, and made Tuvalu’s small voice on the world stage even smaller.

“I think they hate us,” says Soseala Tinilau (below), the director of the Environment ministry.

Tinilau is referring to the cheerful burning of coal by the US and Australia, among others, despite a recent report from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changewarning that global warming must be kept to a maximum of 1.5C over the next 12 years to avoid catastrophic climate affects.

“During COP [climate] negotiations we had to stay up till 7am to ensure we were listened too,” says Tinilau.

“The world want to ignore us. They want to keep behaving as if we don’t exist, as if what’s happening here isn’t true. We can’t let them.”

Fiji has repeatedly offered land to the Tuvaluan government to relocate their population 1,200km south, an offer the Sopoaga government has not accepted. In a recent essay, former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd suggested Tuvalu’s citizens could be offered full citizenship in exchange for their country’s maritime and fisheries rights; a proposal rejected by Sopoaga as “imperial thinking”.

“Moving outside of Tuvalu will not solve any climate change issues … If you put these people in the middle of industrialised countries it will simply boost their consumptions and increase greenhouse gas emissions,” says Sopoaga, a fierce advocate for global cooperation on climate change issues.

“I am very worried about this very self-defeatist approach to suggest that people from low-lying, at-risk countries could be relocated. Because it fails to understand the implications of this issue for the entire world.”

Sopoaga says there is “no plan B” for Tuvalu, and every government effort is concentrated on adapting to the changing weather patterns – and staying put.

“We cannot just say, ‘Kick these people out.’ It is too simplistic and defeatist an approach,” says Sopoaga.

“I think it would be a great shame for the world to allow that to happen. I believe we still have time to make this island very attractive, very beautiful, and continue to be inhabited by generations of Tuvaluans to come.”

Seen from the air, Tuvalu looks like paradise: a slim scar of sand densely planted with coconut palms, and ringed by shallow emerald waters. But up close, the fragility of the land reveals itself. Beside the runway, golden sand spills on to the concrete, and scraggly green grass struggles to survive. The horizon is flat, and dominated by sea; sea that presses at you from every side. The air – ripe, over-cooked – pushes people into the dark interiors of their homes in the middle of the day, sticky and cloying.

At Tuvalu’s Bureau of Meteorology, situated on the edge of the runway – with pig pens to its left and the country’s prison to its right (home to just six inmates) – Nikotemo Iona and his small team are working overtime as they crunch the latest rainfall measurements. They are hours away from declaring another drought.

Nikotemo Iona at the Bureau of Meteorology

According to local climate data, Iona says the biggest impacts of climate change on Tuvalu have been rising air temperatures, more intense and frequent storm surges and decreasing rainfall, as well as the total inundation of low-lying coastal parts of Funafuti – including, sometimes, the country’s lifeline, its runway.

“Many people intend to migrate in response to climate change,” says Iona, sitting inside his squat, concrete office, designed to stay upright and continue broadcasting during cyclone season, which is intensifying year on year.

“However, most of the older generation do not want to move as they believe the will lose their identity, culture, lifestyle and traditions. But I believe that younger generations intend to migrate for the sake of the future generations.”

During storm surges or the highest tides, the Pacific Ocean bubbles up from the sandy soil under Enna Sione’s small yellow house. Fifty metres away, palm trees lie scattered across a rocky, coral strewn beach, turning grey in the hot sun, their twisted, decaying root systems facing skywards.

Enna Sione, next to the ocean that frequently floods her home

Sitting on a slayed coconut tree, Sione’s eyes are troubled as she stares at the ocean, beating its relentless path against her home. Sione, her husband and four children are planning to migrate to New Zealand in the next two years – to join more than 2,000 of fellow Tuvaluans already resident in the country; a migrant population that doubles every five years.

“The weather has really, extremely changed. Sometimes I feel scared of the ocean,” says Sione, who adds that she is leaving for the sake of her kids.

“Maybe one time Tuvalu will disappear. From what I can see a lot is already gone. I think one day we will disappear.”

• Seascape: the state of our oceans
• Asia Pacific
• Climate crisis

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Kenneth's Geography Blog

Wednesday, may 2, 2012, sea level rise case study: tuvalu, 3 comments:.

Thank you. Very useful information :)

Thank you very detailed, will be useful in my AS geography exam tomorrow :)

Sames Geege starting to wish I never to AS geog it takes the mic.

A Level Geography: Case Studies and Exam Tips

A-Level Geography is a challenging and rewarding subject that explores the dynamic relationships between people and their environments. The curriculum often includes the study of case studies to illustrate key concepts and geographical theories. In this article, we'll delve into the importance of case studies in A-Level Geography and provide exam tips to help you excel in this subject.

 The Significance of Case Studies in A-Level Geography

Case studies are essential in A-Level Geography for several reasons:

1. Illustrating Concepts: 

Case studies provide real-world examples that illustrate the geographical concepts and theories covered in the curriculum. They make abstract ideas tangible and relatable.

2. Application of Knowledge: 

Case studies offer opportunities for students to apply their geographical knowledge and analytical skills to specific situations. This application enhances understanding.

3. Contextual Learning: 

Case studies allow students to explore the complex and dynamic interactions between people and their environments in specific contexts. This contextual understanding is at the heart of geography.

4. Exam Requirement: 

In A-Level Geography exams, you are often required to use case studies to support your arguments and analysis. Having a repertoire of case studies at your disposal is crucial for success.

 Selecting and Using Case Studies

Here's how to select and effectively use case studies in your A-Level Geography studies and exams:

1. Diverse Selection: 

Choose a range of case studies that cover different geographical contexts, themes, and issues. This diversity will prepare you for various exam questions.

2. Local and Global: 

Include both local and global case studies. Local examples may provide opportunities for fieldwork, while global case studies allow you to explore international perspectives.

3. Relevance to the Curriculum: 

Ensure that your case studies align with the topics and themes covered in your A-Level Geography course. They should be relevant to your exam syllabus.

4. In-Depth Understanding: 

Study your selected case studies in-depth. Familiarize yourself with the geographical context, key facts, statistics, and relevant theories and concepts.

5. Interdisciplinary Approach: 

Recognize that geography often intersects with other subjects like environmental science, economics, and sociology. Explore how these interdisciplinary aspects come into play in your case studies.

6. Regular Review: 

Periodically review and update your case studies to ensure you have the most recent data and information. Geography is a dynamic field, and changes can occur over time.

 Exam Tips for A-Level Geography

Here are some tips to help you succeed in your A-Level Geography exams:

1. Practice Essay Writing: 

Geography exams often require essay-style responses. Practice writing coherent and well-structured essays that incorporate case studies effectively.

2. Master Map Skills: 

Geography exams may include map interpretation and analysis. Develop your map-reading skills to excel in this section.

3. Use Case Studies Wisely: 

When using case studies in your exam, ensure they are relevant to the question and directly support your argument. Avoid including irrelevant details.

4. Time Management: 

Manage your time wisely during the exam. Allocate specific time slots for each section or question and stick to the schedule.

5. Understand Command Terms: 

Be familiar with the command terms used in geography questions, such as "explain," "discuss," and "evaluate." Tailor your responses accordingly.

6. Practice Past Papers: 

Work through past exam papers to get a sense of the format and types of questions that may appear in your A-Level Geography exams.

7. Seek Feedback: 

If possible, ask your teacher or a peer to review your practice essays and provide feedback. Constructive feedback can help you refine your writing and analysis skills.

8. Stay Informed: 

Keep up with current geographical events and developments. This knowledge can be invaluable in your essays and discussions.

 Conclusion

A-Level Geography is a subject that bridges the gap between the natural and social sciences, offering a comprehensive view of the world. Case studies are pivotal in this field, providing practical examples that support your learning and exam performance. By selecting diverse and relevant case studies, studying them thoroughly, and practicing effective essay writing and map skills, you can navigate A-Level Geography with confidence and success.

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