Tuvalu, the fourth smallest nation in the world, announced its intention to become the world's first digital country back in 2022. But why, and how? 

图瓦卢是世界上第四小的国家，早在 2022 年就宣布打算成为世界上第一个数字国家。但是为什么以及如何实现呢？ 

Facing the devastating effects of rising sea levels caused by climate change, the nation, made up of three reef islands and six atolls, is rapidly becoming uninhabitable. Tuvalu sits between Hawaii and Australia and is grappling with increasingly dire conditions. In 2022, at high tide, nearly 40% of the capital became submerged, according to the news agency Reuters. A recent assessment by scientists at NASA indicated that "much of the land plus critical infrastructure will sit below the level of the current high tide by 2050". And projections suggest the entire country could be underwater by the year 2100. Global warming has already displaced many of Tuvalu's 11,000 inhabitants, while coral bleaching and coastal erosion continue to degrade the surrounding environment. 

面对气候变化造成的海平面上升的破坏性影响，这个由三个礁岛和六个环礁组成的国家正在迅速变得不适合居住。图瓦卢位于夏威夷和澳大利亚之间，正在努力应对日益严峻的形势。据路透社报道，2022 年涨潮时，近 40% 的首都被淹没。美国宇航局科学家最近的一项评估表明，“到 2050 年，大部分土地加上关键基础设施将低于当前高潮水位”。预测显示，到 2100 年，整个国家可能会被淹没。全球变暖已经使图瓦卢 11,000 名居民中的许多人流离失所，而珊瑚白化和海岸侵蚀继续使周围环境恶化。 

This is why the government plans to back up the country and rebuild a virtual online replica. The announcement was first made at the UN Climate Change Conference, COP27 by Tuvalu's Minister of Justice, Simon Kofe. He said, "As our land slips below the ocean, we have no choice but to become the world's first digital nation. Our land, our ocean, our culture are the most precious assets of our people". 

这就是政府计划支持国家并重建虚拟在线副本的原因。图瓦卢司法部长西蒙·科菲 (Simon Kofe) 在联合国气候变化大会 COP27 上首次宣布了这一消息。他说：“当我们的土地沉入海洋时，我们别无选择，只能成为世界上第一个数字国家。我们的土地、我们的海洋、我们的文化是我们人民最宝贵的资产”。 

The country has since been preserving Tuvalu's cultural and historical identity by recording historical documents, maps, family photograph albums, traditional songs, and other cultural practices, all of which will be accessible online. In early 2024, Place, a global non-profit organisation, began mapping the physical features of Funafuti, Tuvalu's capital, using drones and 360-degree cameras. 

此后，该国一直通过记录历史文献、地图、家庭相册、传统歌曲和其他文化习俗来保护图瓦卢的文化和历史特征，所有这些都可以在线访问。2024 年初，全球非营利组织 Place 开始使用无人机和 360 度相机绘制图瓦卢首都富纳富提的物理特征。

Though moving a country online has legal challenges – international law requires a country to have territory and population, both of which are uncertain in Tuvalu's future. At the same time, critics argue the plan is just for publicity, highlighting the need to reduce emissions. 

尽管将一个国家转移到网上存在法律挑战，但国际法要求一个国家拥有领土和人口，而这两者对图瓦卢的未来来说都是不确定的。与此同时，批评者认为该计划只是为了宣传，强调减少排放的必要性。 

Whatever happens, a digital twin of the country will help preserve its culture and heritage for generations to come. 

无论发生什么，该国的数字孪生都将有助于为子孙后代保护其文化和遗产。