Earth matters

The winning images from this year’s Environmental Photographer of the Year are as powerful as they are poignant. Amy Davies finds out more

-  Amy Davies

The winning photographs from this year’s Environmental Photographer of the Year competition (sponsored by CIWEM, WaterBear, Nikon and Arup), are at once beautiful and devastating. Taking home the coveted overall prize is Mehdi Mohebi Pour for his image ‘The Bitter Death of Birds’. Taken in 2021, it shows birds which have died in the Miankaleh Lagoon in Iran, due to lack of water and contamination. Environmental workers can be seen collecting the birds’ bodies to prevent the spread of disease.

Young Environmental Photographer of the Year is Fayz Khan for his shot ‘Beautiful But Hostile Colours On Earth’. It depicts lesser flamingos flying over Lake Magadi and Lake Natron in Kenya. These two lakes were once a single freshwater lake, but today are highly concentrated salt pans, which are toxic to most forms of plant and animal life – aside from the flamingos who feed on the surface.

The EPOTY contest is now in its 15th year. The judges received over 3,000 images from almost 1,600 photographers, from 117 territories. Entrants ranged in age from 7 up to 90.