With the election of Ibrahim Solih in November 2018, many things started to change in the Maldives.

After 30 years of dictatorship and a succession of governments, whose interest was mainly to intercept the

money brought by luxury resorts, the new Maldivian Prime Minister finally gave a strong push to bring environmental issues to the top of the list of the new government goals. Just after landing in the capital Male’, we immediately notice the building speculations made together with the Chinese government, which here in the Maldives had seen its expansion in the Indian Ocean. New waste disposal systems are being studied for Tilafushi, "The Garbage Island", in which waste is still burnt 24 hours a day.

Maldives hold the record of the lowest state in the world, an average of just half a meter above sea level.

According to data from the UN agency studying climate changes, the Maldivian islands may already be partially submerged by the end of the century. The new government’s policies are finally taking a new path

towards a green economy, investing in ecological education since the first years of school: lessons on waste recycling, the importance of coral reefs, environmental sustainability with new renewable energies.

Fishing tuna just with pole-and-line, avoiding nets, save the islands seabed. Hydroponic greenhouses are built also in the most remote islands. This new ecological trend starts from schools and grows

from young people. Local associations of volunteers weekly clean the beaches, replant the corals in sea-nurseries, collect plastic waste from the seabed. Young people now talk about new ecological ideas,

dreaming about living in an island recycling 100% of wastes in which solar panels support all the energy needs. They celebrate their birthdays inviting friends to collect rubbish on the island's beaches.

Something is going on.

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A project by Giulia Piermartiri and Edoardo Delille