A cry for help, before it's too late. The Pacific island of Tuvalu is threatened with extinction by rising sea levels. On Thursday, a special envoy of the archipelago, Samuelu Laloniu, deposited a ratification of his country at UNESCO headquarters in Paris in the presence of Director-General Audrey Azoulay: "We are directly affected by climate change and we need your help as soon as possible to prevent our tangible and intangible heritage from disappearing."
By becoming the 195th signatory state, this island will be able to request the recognition of its natural and cultural sites and their inscription on the World Heritage List, and thus receive assistance for their protection once the list has been drawn up by the experts. "This approach will trigger mechanisms on the part of the international community to preserve as much as possible the cultural wealth of this country," said Lazare Eloudou Assomo, Director of World Heritage at UNESCO.
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One in five World Heritage sites affected
According to UNESCO, "Climate change is of particular importance to small island developing States. Tuvalu, made up of nine islands, is home to about 10,000 people and has a rich cultural and natural heritage, including living heritage." Experts say Tuvalu is particularly exposed, so much so that a song tinged with black humour is called "Toodeloo Tuvalu", which in British slang means "hello, goodbye". An ironic way to predict his disappearance.
Climate change is one of the greatest threats facing cultural and natural heritage sites around the world. These natural threats affect at least one in five World Heritage sites, according to the UN. In 2016, an Australian scientific study revealed that five Solomon Islands in the Pacific had completely disappeared due to rising sea levels and coastal erosion.
Some archipelagos facing this risk are trying to find solutions. In the Maldives, for example, which is likely to be submerged by 2050, the government came up with the idea of creating a floating city. Located 15 minutes by boat from the country's capital, Malé, "Maldives Floating City" will consist of several floating modules that will rise at the same rate as sea level. The work must be finished within five years, but the first inhabitants will be able to move in as early as 2024.