TEHRAN – Mehdi Mohebbipur (Mohebi Pour) from Iran has been picked as the 2022 Environmental Photographer of the Year.

The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) and WaterBear select the Environmental Photographer of the Year and honor several other top photographs on environmental issues with contributions from Nikon and Arup.  

Mohebbipur received the title for his single photo “The Bitter Death of Birds”, CIWEM announced last Thursday.

The photograph depicts just three of the thousands of birds, which died in the Miankaleh wetland in Iran due to contamination and lack of water, and it shows the efforts of environmental workers to collect the bodies to prevent the spread of disease. 

It was chosen as the winning photograph for its surreal portrayal of the circular nature of life between humans and wildlife, as well as its powerful combination of conveying the real environmental issues affecting our planet, while using bold and contrasting colors to create a visually arresting photo.

“It means the world to have won this prestigious award as photographing the climate and showcasing the damage being caused is my biggest priority in life,” Mohebbipur said. 

“I want people around the world to know about this sad event of the death of the birds as, if we do not revise our lifestyle and take care of the planet, this will soon happen in other countries,” he added.

16-year-old Fayz Khan won the Young Environmental Photographer of the Year award, presented by Nikon, for “Beautiful But Hostile Colors on Earth”.

The photograph shows lesser flamingos flying over Lake Magadi and Lake Natron in Kenya. The two bodies of water were once a single freshwater lake, but today have become two highly concentrated salt pans, which are severely alkaline and toxic to most forms of plant and animal life - with the exception of the lesser flamingos who love to feed on the surface. 

The photo has been praised for being classical and well-composed while also highlighting the untold effects of the climate crisis in the Rift Valley.

Additional winners were honored in four categories.

“Vertical Farming” by Arie Basuki received the Vision of the Future award.

The Recovering Nature award was given to “Naturalia: Chronicle of Contemporary Ruins” by Jonathan Jonk Jimenez.

The Keeping 1.5 Alive award was granted to “Chemical Explosion” by Subrata Dey, while the Adapting for Tomorrow prize was awarded to “New Ways to the Future (III)” by Simone Tramonte.

Photo: “The Bitter Death of Birds” brought Mehdi Mohebbipur the 2022 Environmental Photographer of the Year award.

MMS/YAW