Nicola Manghi's contribution to the ESFO 2025 conference

What is a territory? Theoretical challenges in Tuvalu’s project to become a “digital nation”

Abstract :

In this paper, I propose a theoretical reflection on the relationship between land, sea, and sovereignty in Tuvalu, a low-lying island state facing existential threats from global warming. In response to rising sea levels and coastal erosion threatening the archipelago, Tuvalu’s government has proposed transforming the country into a “digital nation”: by creating a virtual model of its territory, digitising governmental functions, and stabilising its maritime boundaries, it aims to maintain sovereignty even in a scenario of complete inundation. While the “digital nation” concept has been discussed as a form of “deterritorialised” sovereignty, I argue that Tuvalu’s efforts are better understood as part of a broader global trend toward the “territorialisation of the sea”.