Project ThimaaVeshi is part of a new generation of island activists
Young people in the Maldives paddled kayaks in June to protest land reclamation work that was cutting through protected mangrove wetlands in a UNESCO biosphere reserve, spray-painting “ECOCIDE” on a reclaimed patch. The demonstration in Addu City was a youth-led action as part of Project ThimaaVeshi, a nonprofit whose name means “self and surroundings.”
The group is part of a new generation of activists in the Indian Ocean island nation tackling issues that are part of their daily lives: coastal erosion, plastic pollution and development-damaged ecosystems.
In Addu City in the south, the activists have focused on overdevelopment, documenting the impact on wetlands and reefs. In the capital, Male, others are tackling the plastic waste in streets, hangout spots and swimming areas.
The June 3 demonstration targeted an ongoing reclamation project damaging mangroves off the coast of Addu City. A participant held a sign as part of the youth-led protest.