The metaverse is like the next evolution of the internet, where people work, study, shop, and play in a virtual world from the comfort of anyone's home, per TechTarget. People use avatars to represent themselves in this world and create a community where they can freely interact.
But who would have thought that an entire country could move into this space? The Pacific nation Tuvalu recently announced its plan to create a version of itself in the metaverse in response to the existential threat it faces due to the rising sea levels brought by worsening global warming and climate change.
An aerial view of the port between the Pacific Ocean ((TOP) and the lagoon on November 27, 2019, in Funafuti, Tuvalu. The low-lying South Pacific island nation of about 11,000 people has been classified as ‘extremely vulnerable to climate change by the United Nations Development Program.
The First Nation To Be Uploaded To Metaverse
Simon Kofe, Tuvalu's minister for justice, communication, and foreign affairs, recently made an announcement addressing leaders at COP27 regarding its state as sea levels continue to rise.
He said: "The tragedy of this outcome cannot be overstated [...] Tuvalu could be the first country in the world to exist solely in cyberspace - but if global warming continues unchecked, it won't be the last."
The plan accounts for the "worst case scenario," which involves creating a digital twin of Tuvalu in the metaverse to replicate the beautiful islands of the Pacific nation and preserve its rich culture.
According to an article in The Conversation, the idea of becoming a nation in the metaverse will allow the country to function fully as a sovereign state as its citizens are forced to live in other countries. The chilling announcement of Kofe may be the only way of getting the attention of the world's leaders to commit to fighting climate change and prevent nations from being underwater.
To be a metaverse nation means being a part of virtual reality every day. Currently, the most famous vision of the metaverse is from Mark Zuckerberg's Meta (formerly Facebook). Metaverse is an immersive 3D world in which avatars move from one virtual world to another, like how people move from one room to another in the physical world.
Kofe implies three aspects of the Pacific nation could be recreated in the metaverse. First, the territory in which the country's natural beauty could interact in various ways. Second, the culture in which Tuvaluan people could interact with one another and preserve their language, norms, and customs. Lastly, Tuvalu's sovereignty if the terrestrial land would be lost due to rising sea levels.
Is a Metaverse Nation Possible?
Technologically, it is possible to create beautiful, immersive, and rich recreations of Tuvalu. Many online communities and 3D worlds have proven that creating an entirely virtual interactive space that maintains culture can be achievable. That means creating a digital twin of Tuvalu is feasible with the combination of technological capabilities and governance features.
Per a June article in The Conversation, a digital twin is a virtual representation of a real system that copies its characteristics. The concept of nations entering the virtual world has been experimenting with, like Estonia's e-residency, which allows foreigners to have an online-only form of residency to access services like company registration.
However, technological and social challenges exist before a nation can fully become metaverse-based. Tuvalu currently has about 12,000 citizens, and having all of them interact simultaneously in the metaverse will result in technical challenges like bandwidth, computing power, and others.
For now, nobody has demonstrated yet that nations or states can successfully be translated into the virtual world, and even if it is possible, experts argue that the digital world only makes them redundant. Tuvalu's recent announcement is a desperate response to a tragic situation that might be resolved.
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