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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/26/nauru-climate-citizenship-golden-passport>
"The Pacific island nation of Nauru is selling citizenship to fund its retreat
from rising seas, the country’s president, David Adeang, announced on Tuesday,
opening a contentious “golden passport” scheme as climate financing runs dry.
The low-lying island nation of 13,000 residents is planning a mass inland
relocation as the human-caused climate crisis raises global sea levels, eating
away at the country’s fertile coastal fringe.
The country will drum up funding by selling passports to foreigners for
US$105,000 each, despite fears such schemes are ripe for criminal exploitation.
Nauru claims its passport will provide visa-free entry into 89 countries,
including the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong.
“For Nauru it is not just about adapting to climate change, but about securing
a sustainable and prosperous future for generations to come,” Adeang told
AFP. “This is about more than survival. It is about ensuring future
generations have a safe, resilient and sustainable home. We are ready for the
journey ahead.”
The island republic sits on a small plateau of phosphate rock in the sparsely
populated South Pacific. With a total landmass of just 21 square kilometres (8
square miles), it is one of the world’s smallest nations.
Unusually pure phosphate deposits – a key ingredient in fertiliser – once made
Nauru one of the wealthiest places, per capita, on the planet.
But these supplies have long dried up, and researchers today estimate 80% of
Nauru has been rendered uninhabitable by mining.
What little land Nauru has left is threatened by encroaching tides; scientists
have measured sea levels rising 1.5 times faster than global averages."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
