Climate change in Tuvalu
Climate change is particularly threatening for the long-term habitability of the island country of Tuvalu, which has a land area of only and an average elevation of less than above sea level, with the highest point of Niulakita being about above sea level. Potential threats to the country due to climate change include rising sea levels, increasingly severe tropical cyclones, high temperatures, and drought. Tuvalu is widely considered one of the first countries likely to be significantly impacted by rising sea levels due to global climate change. According to some estimates, the highest tides could regularly flood 50% of the land area of national capital Funafuti by the mid-21st century, and 95% by 2100. The rising saltwater table could also destroy deep rooted food crops such as coconut, pulaka, and taro before they're overtaken by actual flooding. Meanwhile, one 2018 study from the University of Auckland suggested that Tuvalu may remain habitable over the next century, finding that the country's islands have even grown in area overall in recent decades, though the authors stressed that "Climate change remains one of the single greatest environmental threats to the livelihood and well-being of the peoples of the Pacific" and that "Sea-level rise