Tuvalu, located in Oceania, is expected to be completely underwater by 2050. The island nation with a population of just 11,000 is setting a precedent by becoming the first country to have to permanently evacuate. In order to do this Australia and Tuvalu signed the Falepili Union treaty, which is an "agreement that provides for a migration scheme that will allow 280 Tuvaluans a year to settle in Australia as permanent residents", said Wired. This is the first climate visa of its kind.
However, Tuvalu is perhaps just the first of many countries or regions that will have to evacuate because of climate change. "Tuvalu is the canary in the coal mine, and that coal mine is rapidly filling with water," said Vice.
The Maldives are an archipelago comprising almost 1,200 islands, most of which are under four feet above sea level, making them especially vulnerable to changes in ocean levels. As preparation, the Maldives government has explored plans to purchase land on higher ground in other countries. Almost every other island nation faces similar risks, including Kiribati, the Solomon Islands, Fiji and Vanuatu.
The US is also not free from the threat of relocation. Several coastal states – such as Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Alabama and Mississippi – are at risk of losing their coastlines. New York City, Chicago and a number of cities in California are also sinking, which could in time mean they also require evacuation. In addition, the sea level in the Gulf of Mexico is rising three times faster than the global average, according to a study published in the journal Nature. Without measures to combat climate change, mass migration may be the only way to survive. | 
