Tree-covered mountains rise behind a pile of trash, children run through the orange haze of a dust storm, and a billboard standing on parched earth indicates where the seashore used to be before desertification took hold. These striking images, exhibited as part of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit, show the devastating effects of climate change.
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The summit, held at the University of Oxford in the UK and supported by UN Human Rights (OHCHR), aims to reframe climate change as a human rights crisis and spotlight climate solutions. It works with everyone from policymakers to artists to get the message across.
“Photographers document the human rights impacts of climate change, helping to inform the public and hold governments and businesses accountable,” said Volker Turk, UN High Commissioner for the OHCHR, via email. “The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit shows the power of collective action — uniting storytellers, scientists, indigenous leaders, and others to advance climate solutions rooted in human rights.”
Coinciding with World Environment Day on June 5, the exhibition — titled “Photography 4 Humanity: A Lens on Climate Justice” — features the work of 31 photographers from across the globe, all documenting the effects of global warming and environmental pollution on their own communities.
Climate change disproportionately affects vulnerable populations around the world. Despite emitting far fewer greenhouse gases, low-income nations are suffering the most from extreme weather events and have fewer resources to adapt or recover.
Photographs at the exhibition show the effects of desertification, flooding and plastic pollution. A black and white image shows the ruins of a house in West Bengal, India, sloping towards the Ganges River, with the owner sitting alongside. Riverbank erosion is degrading the environment and displacing communities in the area. Photographer Masood Sarwer said in a press release that the photo depicts the “slow violence” of climate change: “These are not sudden disasters, but slow-moving, relentless ones — shaping a new category of environmental refugees.”
Another photo, taken by Aung Chan Thar, shows children fishing for trash in Inle Lake, Myanmar. The lake was once a pristine natural wonder but now faces the growing threat of plastic pollution. “This image of children cleaning the water symbolizes the importance of education and collective action in preserving our environment for a sustainable future,” he said.
Organizers hope that the exhibition will help to humanize the climate crisis. “Our mission is to inspire new perspectives through photography,” said Pauline Benthede, global vice president of artistic direction and exhibitions at Fotografiska, the museum of photography, art and culture that is curating the exhibition at the summit. “It draws attention to the human rights issue at the heart of global warming, which affects both the world’s landscapes and the people that live within them.”
“Photography is the most influential and inclusive art form of our times and has the power to foster understanding and inspire action,” she added.
