Excerpt and Photo from thecooldown.com

A small island nation is allowing people to pay for land — but not to own, only protect.

The small Pacific island Niue has dedicated itself to preserving its ocean environment, as reported by the Guardian. With just 1,700 residents and waters filled with marine life, Niue’s government launched the Ocean Conservation Commitment to protect its seas while helping its economy.

This initiative allows sponsors to contribute to conservation in exchange for symbolic guardianship of 1 square kilometer of ocean. The program highlights the island’s mission to balance cultural heritage, environmental protection, and sustainable economic development.

“We are not selling real estate,” the president of Niue Ocean Wide, Coral Pasisi, told the Guardian. “That is why it’s a sponsorship of 1 square kilometer rather than the full cost of a square kilometer. It is subsidized because the government will continue to manage and pay for resources.”