This article investigates Tuvalu’s innovative response to existential threats posed by climate change, focusing on its first digital nation initiative. Facing the loss of its physical territory due to rising sea levels, Tuvalu is pioneering a digital transformation that preserves its national identity, sovereignty and governance within virtual environments. An interdisciplinary approach is employed for this study, exploring the political, legal, technological and social dimensions of this initiative. It highlights how Tuvalu challenges traditional notions of statehood by redefining sovereignty in the digital age while engaging with international forums and advocating for climate justice. The article examines the intersection of survival narratives, migration, diaspora engagement and political agency, presenting Tuvalu as both a vulnerable state and an active norm entrepreneur. This research contributes to Pacific scholarship by demonstrating how small island developing states navigate climate precarity through technological innovation and political resilience, offering a model for other nations confronting similar challenges.
Tökölyová et al. (Wed,) studied this question.