Secretary-General Visits Tuvalu

Secretary-General António Guterres stands on a causeway in Tuvalu where, at high tide, water flows from one side of the island over the causeway to the other side.

Tuvalu has an average elevation of less than 2 metres above sea level and is extremely vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change. Rising sea levels and extreme weather events are contributing to the inundation of low-lying areas. Coastal erosion is also a major problem in Tuvalu, particularly on the western side of the islands.

Mr. Guterres visited the country as part of a trip to the South Pacific to spotlight the issue of climate change ahead of the Climate Action Summit that he is convening in September in New York. In addition to Tuvalu, the trip took him to New Zealand, Fiji and Vanuatu. In each country, the Secretary-General met with government leaders, civil society representatives and youth groups, to hear from those already impacted by climate change and who are also successfully engaging in meaningful climate action.