In Addu City in the south, the activists have focused on overdevelopment, documenting the impact on wetlands and reefs. They are united in knowing that, unlike with previous generations, climate change and environmental damage are no longer a distant threat. What started as a group of friends became a movement and a registered nonprofit after they graduated from high school. In Male and neighboring Hulhumale, another youth group seeking formal registration, Ripple, started when friends noticed the trash building up in areas where they hung out. ___The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations.