India, March 6 -- Nauru, an island nation spread across just 20 square kilometres in the southwest Pacific Ocean off the coast of Papua New Guinea, is selling citizenship. The low-lying island has launched a "golden passport" initiative to raise money to fund climate action.

The world's third smallest country is short of funds to protect itself from rising sea levels, storm surges and coastal erosion as the planet warms.

The government is now selling citizenship for $105,000 (over Rs.91.44 lakh) per passport. According to the government, the funds will help it in moving all its 12,500 citizens to higher ground and build an entirely new community.

The US' removal from global climate action efforts could only exacerbate the requirement o...