Winners of Environmental Photographer of the Year announced!

Environmental Photographer of the Year, End Floating, Saeed Mohammadzadeh, 2017, Iran

The winning photographs from the Environmental Photography of the Year 2018 competition have been announced. This year, the competition received entries from 89 countries. They provide an insight into the current state of our environment and the livelihoods of people around the world. These photographs remind us that we all live on the same planet and that the actions we take affect others around us. The emotive response they trigger from spectators makes them a powerful catalyst for positive change. They are also a reminder that there is always hope, and happiness to be found, even during the hardest of times.

Winners

[Photo above] The photo shows a ship sitting in salt in the Urmia Lake in Iran. Climate change is intensifying the droughts that speed up evaporation in the region. The lake is also suffering from illegal wells and a proliferation of dams and irrigation projects causing it to reduce significantly in volume. Noxious, salt-tinged dust storms inflame the eyes, skin, and lungs of residents in surrounding areas. The drying up of the river, is destroying local habitats, due to the extreme salinity levels of 340 grams per litre, which is over eight times saltier than ocean water.

Terry Fuller, CIWEM Chief Executive and judge of the competition said,
“There is a finality about this year’s winning image that I find chilling. The water once used for many purposes has gone and the decaying state of the ship suggests that the water will not return. Why was this ship left stranded? Did the owners not know or believe that the water levels were declining, or did it happen so quickly that they did not have time to adapt?”

Changing Climates Prize, Dryness, Chinmoy Biswas, 2018, India

A child is found sitting on dry land where the land is cracked and has scaled due to lack of water. Long dry spells can cause the ground to remain open underground even after they have visibly sealed on the surface.

Built Environment Prize, And Life Rises, Younes Khani Someeh Soflaei, 2017, Iran

A woman and her little daughter are standing next to their damaged items recovered from the rubble of their house in Sarpol-e Zahab, following the devastating earthquake that hit the region in 2017 and killed over 600 people. A destroyed Mehr Residential Complex can be seen in the background.

Sustainability in Practice Prize, Bulrush, Ümmü Kandilcioğlu, 2017, Turkey.

The photograph shows a worker making straw from the reeds for a living.

Young Environmental Photographer of the Year, Happiness on a Rainy Day, Fardin Oyan, 2017, Bangladesh.

Bangladesh’s children are fond of a rainy day. They love to bath and play in rain. The country is flat and occupied by the huge Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta, and is therefore exposed to floods, especially during monsoon season.

Highly commended category – awarded for strong environmental messaging and good quality photography.