In 2021, we find ourselves on the brink of an unprecedented climate crisis. Global temperatures are estimated to rise by 1.5 degrees Celsius, more than a million species are at risk of extinction, even as wildfires, floods and other catastrophic events continue to ravage countless communities around the world.
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But while it’s important to include these statistics in your global warning, none of these numbers have an impact as effective as a powerful image that actually shows how fucked we are. In keeping with this, the Environmental Photographer of the Year (EPOTY) Awards highlights the human impact of the climate crisis through its powerful platform: photos. Now on its 14th edition, EPOTY is an initiative to showcase the most impactful environmental photography, using imagery to tell stories of how humans are fighting for survival amid a grave global crisis. The awards, which were organised this year by environmental and water management charity CIWEM and streaming platform WaterBear, include categories such as sustainability, climate action, water security, and the Resilient Award for those fighting to save the planet. From more than 7,000 entries across 119 countries, a haunting image captured by Spanish photographer Antonio Aragón Renuncio came up tops as the winner. This heartbreaking photo titled “Rising Tides” shows a child sleeping inside a house about to collapse, destroyed by coastal erosion on Afidegnigba beach in western Ghana. Indian photographer Amaan Ali’s explosive photo of a boy fighting forest fires on the banks of the river Yamuna in New Delhi won in the Young Photographer category.
Bangladeshi photographer Ashraful Islam’s image showing sheep desperately looking for food and water to highlight the effects of extreme drought emerged as the winner of the Resilient Award.
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Other winning photos included Kenya-based Kevin Ochieng Onyango’s image of a child breathing through an oxygen mask as he stands amid a sandstorm, a chilling image by Italian photographer Michele Lapini of a house submerged in water in the Po Valley, and a mesmerising shot by Indian photographer Sandipani Chattopadhyay of algal blooms caused by irregular monsoons. The award-winning images are currently on display at the COP26 Climate Summit in Glasgow, Scotland, which runs until November 12.