tuvalu: graduating difficulties and realities

TUVALU: GRADUATING DIFFICULTIES AND REALITIES

THAT ECOSOC NEED TO KNOW

Tuvalu Mission to the UN

April 23rd, 2013

TUVALU - A PLACE WE CALL HOME

OUR CREDE IS “TUVALU FOR GOD” THIS IS ALL WE HAVE

• Total land area Tuvalu..24 km²/Manhattan 87.46 km²)

• 4th smallest country (cf. Holy Sea/Monaco/Nauru)

• Average elevation is 2 mtrs above sea level• Only highest building is Government

Headquarters; 3 stories.• 757,000 km² sea locked in mid Pacific Ocean• 11,000 people living on nine coral atolls• Most Vulnerable in the WHOLE WORLD

Our Economic fundamentals

• Land is sandy, porous, poor and flat• Resource Poor; no natural land based resources• Isolated & remote in the vast Pacific• Agricultural & fisheries is mainly subsistence• GDP/GNI – does not tell the whole story• No Productive Capacity• Everything is Imported

(Food/Construction/Maintenance….)

Our Productive limitations

• No natural Resources - Highly Limited Productive Capacity

• Highly dependent on Foreign Aid / Rental Income• All Assets are rented – EEZ/.tv internet domain/Air

Space/Sea farers• High Trade Deficit /Importing Country (no exports)• Use Australian Currency - No Monetary Policy• Government is the main employer – not always efficient

producer• High transportation costs for service provisions to all

islands (average 1 day trip from one island to another)• Limited Residential areas in Capital – even the PM and

Governors Residence are 10 mtrs from the runway

Moving or Disappearing Islands?

Agricultural Issues in an Island economy – Poor Soils/Heat/Sea water leaks

NEW THREATS

King tides

Drought 2011

Multiple uses of Airfield – Like everything else in a small island – multiple use; multitasking is natural!

Mitigation & Adaption Strategies can only go so far; sea level rise will inundate everything we try

Tuvalu Trust Fund – an economic option

COUNTRY ORIGINAL ADDITIONALTuvalu A$1.6m A$28.2mAustralia A$8.0m A$6.4mNZ A$8.3m A$3.2mUK A$8.5mJapan A$0.7mSth Korea A$31,000 A$37,821

Set up in 1987 $27m; 2012 - $127 m$65m has been made available for the GOT

TTF – an option for environmental resources

• Established Institution• Time/Crisis Tested (GEF/Food/Energy…

Tsunami, Climate change crisis)• International Agreement /Board / Advisory

Committee• Tuvalu/Donor benefit• An existing host for (Global climate funds,

LDCF, GEF, IEF, Fast Start Funds…)

A Window for Development

• Migration• Remittances• Tuvalu Trust Fund• International Agreements• Aid• Technological Transfer

Tuvalu’s Future – Innocent Victory??