ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND EMIGRATION IN TUVALU

Authors

John Connell, University of Sydney

Abstract

Growing consensus on the accelerated greenhouse effect indicates that potential increases in both sea levels and tropical storms will pose problems for atoll states, especially Tuvalu. Land areas and water supplies may be threatened by coastal erosion, depleting agricultural and fisheries potential. Tuvalu’s economy is limited and partly reliant on aid and remittances whose sustainability is uncertain. More than a third of the population now lives in overcrowded conditions in the urban center of Funafuti. Population growth has accelerated since independence, despite attempts to implement a population policy, while opportunities for temporary or permanent emigration have not increased. If environmental changes exacerbate domestic development strategies, Tuvaluans are more likely to become “environmental refugees,” creating new human-rights issues.

Recommended Citation

Connell, John (1999) "ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND EMIGRATION IN TUVALU," Pacific Studies Journal: Vol. 22: No. 1, Article 2.
Available at: https://digitalcollections.byuh.edu/pacific-studies-journal/vol22/iss1/2