As tiny Tuvalu sinks, PM fights to save the archipelago's identity

NEW YORK - The flag of Tuvalu contains nine yellow stars - one for each of the islands that make up the tiny Pacific archipelago, home to some 11,000 people.

"That is exactly the idea behind the Rising Nations Initiative - to convince members of the UN to recognise our nation, even if we are submerged underwater, because that is our identity," Prime Minister Kausea Natano told AFP on the margins of the UN General Assembly. It would also create a repository for the islands' cultural heritage and designate them as Unesco World Heritage sites, as well as increase financial support for adaptation measures.As so-called"floating islands" that aren't directly connected to the ground below, atolls sit on top of"lenses" of freshwater, which are increasingly permeated by saltwater as oceans rise.

The archipelago's islands barely break the surface of the ocean, reaching 15 feet at the highest point, but more like four or five feet in other places. But even if the world's polluting nations correct course and meet the goal of limiting warming to 1.5 deg C, it could be too late to save the most vulnerable countries like the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu.

The country has joined calls for so-called"loss and damage" compensation from rich nations based on their historic and ongoing contribution to the climate crisis, but the issue remains contentious.

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