Representatives of 30 nations watched on Tuesday as white sand dredged from an atoll lagoon was used to reclaim land from the ocean in Tuvalu. The tiny Pacific nation is fighting to keep its main island from being lost to rising waves.The reclamation effort, spread over six hectares, is part of about 50 million dollars of donor-funded work that also built sea walls and barriers to protect land. Tuvalu's roughly 10,000 inhabitants live on coral islands averaging just two metres above sea level, making it one of the most climate-vulnerable nations on earth.Foreign Minister Paulson Panapa told the leaders gathered ahead of pre-COP, a preparatory conference for November's COP31 climate forum in Turkey: "You are standing on frontline soil. Promises will not hold back rising tides. What this moment requires is decisive delivery."

NASA researchers say sea levels around Tuvalu have risen about 15 centimetres in the three decades to 2023, twice as fast as the global average. A further 30 centimetres of rise expected by 2050 would make flooding drastically worse, officials warned. The visitors hope the trip will push negotiators toward stronger climate action.