Maldivian youth paddle protests and clean-ups to fight climate and development threats

A coalition of Maldivian youths, including the nonprofit Project ThimaaVeshi, staged a kayak protest in Addu City, marking a reclaimed mangrove patch with the word “ECOCIDE” to draw attention to protected wetlands being cleared for development. The same generation is tackling plastic litter in the capital, Male, and nearby Hulhumale, organizing regular clean-ups, removing fishing lines from reefs and recycling collected bottles.

New groups like Ripple, which grew from a TikTok video, and Barnacles, focused on climate education, have formalized their efforts despite criticism from officials such as the minister of climate change, Ali Shareef, who called their work pointless. Activists stress that climate change is no longer a distant threat and that waiting for large-scale solutions is not an option. They aim to empower peers and future generations to protect the islands as rising seas could render up to 80% of the country uninhabitable within five decades.