Tuvalu's foreign minister has given a speech to the UN COP26 climate summit while standing knee-deep in seawater to show how his low-lying Pacific island nation is on the frontline of climate change.
Images of Simon Kofe standing in a suit and tie at a lectern set up in the sea have been shared widely on social media, drawing attention to Tuvalu's struggle against rising sea levels.
The video was shot by public broadcaster TVBC at the far end of Fongafale, the main islet of the capital Funafuti, a government official said.
It was due to be shown at the climate summit in Scotland on Tuesday local time, amid a push by regional leaders who want more aggressive action to limit the impact of climate change.
Many big polluters have vowed to intensify their carbon cuts over coming decades, with some aiming for net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
But Pacific Island leaders have demanded immediate action, pointing out that the very survival of their low-lying countries is at stake.
Tuvalu is already seeing the effects of climate change
Tuvalu is made up of nine atolls and has a population of around 11,000 people.
Its highest point is just 4.5 metres above sea level, making it particularly vulnerable to climate change.
Since 1993, sea levels have risen about 0.5 centimetres per year, according to a 2011 Australian government report.
Mr Kofe said he delivered the video address in a place that used to be dry land, adding that Tuvalu was seeing a lot of coastal erosion.
When asked what Tuvalu's people thought about the rising sea levels, Mr Kofe said some of the older generation said they would go down with the land, while others were leaving.
Relocation being considered under 'worst-case scenario'
Mr Kofe said Tuvalu was looking at legal ways to keep ownership of its maritime zones and recognition as a state, even if it becomes completely submerged due to climate change.
"We're looking at legal avenues where we can retain our ownership of our maritime zones, retain our recognition as a state under international law. So those are steps that we are taking, looking into the future."
Tagaloa Cooper-Halo, the director of climate change at the Pacific's peak environmental body the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, is at COP26 in Glasgow,
She told the ABC's Pacific Beat program that the camaraderie and support in Mr Kofe's speech had been well received by Pacific delegates who were with her in Scotland.
"People are doing their best to raise the alarm," she said.
"So the Pacific message is permeating the halls of of the negotiations, but more importantly, the public and social arena."
ABC/Reuters
