Pakistan, June 29 -- SYDNEY - More than one-third of Tuvalu's population has applied for Australia's new climate visa, as rising sea levels continue to threaten the tiny Pacific island nation's survival.

According to Tuvalu's ambassador to the United Nations, Tapugao Falefou, over 1,100 individuals have registered since the visa program opened, with family members pushing the total number of applicants to more than 4,000.

Tuvalu, made up of nine low-lying atolls between Australia and Hawaii, has a population of around 11,000 and is considered one of the countries most at risk from climate change-induced sea rise.

The climate visa, part of the Falepili Union treaty signed in 2023, allows up to 280 Tuvalu residents annually to live, work...