Tuvalu First: Designing Finance Around the Islands’ Realities

H.E. Tapugao Falefou, Permanent Representative of Tuvalu to the United Nations; Honorable Feleti Teo, Prime Minister of Tuvalu; Dr Gene Leon, Executive Director, Nature Bank; Dr Greg Scott, Executive Director, SDG Data Alliance. Photo: PVBLIC Foundation

At high tide, Tuvalu’s shoreline tells the story in seconds—land narrowing, sea walls tested, families planning around the water’s next advance. It is one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, where sea-level rise is an existential challenge, not an abstraction. The United Nations estimates that, by 2050, half of Tuvalu’s capital will be flooded by tidal waters.

On 7–8 October 2025 in Funafuti, a delegation of the Development Bank for Resilient Prosperity (Nature Bank) met with Prime Minister of Tuvalu The Rt Hon Feleti Penitala Teo, OBE; Deputy Prime Minister The Hon Panapasi Nelesoni, the Minister for Transport, Energy, Communication and Innovation, The Hon Simon Kofe MP, and senior officials. The objective was clear: to discuss development challenges, listen to national priorities, and secure Government support toward a roadmap for achieving resilient prosperity. 

Why this matters now:

For atoll states, meaning low-lying island nations, development must be built to withstand slow onset as well as sudden shocks. DBRP’s systems approach treats natural ecosystems as real economic assets and nature-based solutions as high-return investments—protecting fiscal sustainability and enabling growth while preserving ecological stability.

Honorable Feleti Teo, Prime Minister of Tuvalu; Dr Gene Leon, Executive Director, Nature Bank; Dr Greg Scott, Executive Director, SDG Data Alliance hold a bilateral meeting. Photo: PVBLIC Foundation

How the Nature Bank is working with Tuvalu:

The Nature Bank is supporting Tuvalu to implement nature-positive investments. During the visit, the representatives discussed the value of restoring and preserving reefs and mangroves, and underscored that adaptation through nature-based solutions pays for itself over time while promoting sovereignty and community rights.

Data is essential for mapping Tuvalu’s future. In collaboration with the SDG Data Alliance, a multi-stakeholder program of PVBLIC Foundation, Tuvalu can integrate geospatial, climate, and socio-economic data into a Tuvalu Data Hub. This hub would help prioritize projects, track delivery village-by-village, and report outcomes trusted by government, citizens, and investors. Together, these initiatives facilitate Tuvalu's move from reactive adaptation to data-driven, planned resilience.

To learn more about PVBLIC Foundation’s programs and initiatives, visit pvblic.org/what-we-do