42 Eye-Opening Winning Images Of The 2024 Mangrove Photography Awards

To learn more about the photography awards, Bored Panda reached out to Leo Thom, a creative director at Mangrove Action Project, and Supratim Bhattacharjee, the overall winner of this year’s competition.

First of all, Thom shared his fascination with the winning image by Supratim.

“This year’s winning image is so powerful. We see a girl’s life turn upside down after a cyclone, her teahouse drowning in the background. Her look of helplessness, reflecting the turmoil of life for many people on the coastlines of the Sundarbans in India. The whole village was entirely flooded by the sea and this girl and her family had to move away to build a new home. It’s a common problem in the area where extreme weather events have meant seawater breaches the protective embankments, their land becomes inundated with saltwater from the sea, making it impossible to grow crops, on which they rely for food.

Although devastating, there is a bit of good news for the girl. I did hear that the photographer returned to the same region this past week and found the girl and the family surviving well at the new home they built.”

Supratim shared the backstory of his image:

“The award-winning photo was captured during the complete COVID-19 lockdown on a cyclonic day. I was staying at a hotel in Bakkhali, documenting the devastating impact of cyclonic weather on a full moon day, a project I’ve pursued for nearly two decades in the Sundarbans region.

The night before the photo was taken, I planned a visit to Lakkhipur village with my friend Goutam. Fraserganj, where the picture was taken, lacks embankments, making it particularly vulnerable. I arrived early in the morning and witnessed the overwhelming force of the high tides. The residents of Lakkhipur, located on Frazerganj, were frantically trying to save their belongings from the encroaching sea water.

Among them was 11-year-old Pallavi, whose house, including a tea shop, had been completely submerged the previous night. Her composed demeanor and resilient expression amid the chaos compelled me to capture her photograph, showcasing her strength in the face of such devastation.

Speaking with Pallavi, she shared how the relentless sea waves are slowly eroding their future year after year.”

Supratim also shared what are some of the most pressing threats to mangrove forests that he has personally witnessed.

“Growing up, I frequently visited my maternal grandparents' home in Canning, near the Sundarbans. I fondly remember the lush greenery and playing under the expansive, shady trees during scorching summer afternoons. However, nearly 28-30 years later, the landscape has dramatically changed. The indiscriminate cutting down of trees has transformed the area, and many islands in the Sundarbans, once teeming with Sundari trees and mangrove forests, have lost their verdant charm.

The large trees that once acted as buffers against soil erosion from tidal floods are now gone, making floods and cyclonic attacks increasingly common. Several islands have already submerged, and many more are at risk.

Climate change has dramatically altered our environment over the past few decades. In the Sundarbans, I have personally witnessed the drastic transformation of the landscape due to global warming and frequent cyclones. Rising sea levels, driven by global warming, have led to increasingly severe flooding from violent storm surges. Many islands have already submerged, and predictions suggest that a significant portion of the Sundarbans will be underwater in the coming years. If this trend continues, even Kolkata could face flooding.”

“Adding to the crisis is the reckless deforestation of mangrove forests. Many island residents are unaware of the long-term consequences of this destruction. Deforestation is erasing natural habitats and diminishing the region's green aura. The natural barriers that once protected the land from floods are being systematically destroyed.

Through my photography, I aim to raise awareness about climate change in the Sundarbans and its impact on the lives of children in the region. I am capturing the faces of climate change victims to send a powerful message: it is time to take action on fossil fuels, the primary driver of rising global temperatures. The consequences—droughts, wildfires, sea level rise, disease, and migration—are already here, and we must act now to mitigate further damage.”

“Climate Change in Indian Sundarbans:

Located in the embrace of the Bay of Bengal, the Sundarbans archipelago straddles the borders of India and Bangladesh, with India claiming a significant 40% of its vast expanse, encompassing roughly 10,000 square kilometers. Celebrated as the planet's largest mangrove forest, the Sundarbans hosts a collection of 102 deltaic islands within the Indian territory, of which 52 are inhabited. Serving as a natural shield against the fury of storm surges and cyclones, this ecological marvel stands as an invaluable asset. However, relentless exploitation for economic gain has unleashed a cascade of detrimental consequences, including rampant deforestation, erosion of soil, and a compromised capacity for climate change mitigation.

In recent years, substantial portions of the Sundarbans have fallen prey to encroaching waters, rendering them increasingly susceptible to the wrath of cyclones, torrential rains, and storm surges. The period spanning from 2019 to 2024 witnessed a barrage of cyclones—Fani, Amphan, Bulbul, Yaas, and Remal—further destabilizing the Indian Sundarbans. Concurrently, the forces of urbanization and modernization have aggravated these challenges, exacerbating the significant loss of mangroves due to soil erosion. Over the past five decades, studies conducted between 1975 and 2020 have documented a steady decline in mangrove density, with an annual decrease estimated at 1.3%.”

“The ingress of tides has exacerbated existing adversities, intensifying food and water scarcity, diminishing agricultural yields, and degrading arable land. The COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdowns delivered severe blows to local livelihoods, triggering widespread unemployment particularly among migrant laborers, who suddenly found themselves bereft of income and support.

The devastating aftermath of cyclones like Amphan and Yaas has left many residents destitute and homeless, underscoring the critical importance of mangrove conservation in averting such catastrophes.

Alarming statistics reveal that 52 out of the 102 inhabited islands in the Indian Sundarbans are sinking at an alarming rate. Since 1967, the Sundarbans has contracted by 210 square kilometers, and since 1904, by a staggering 451 square kilometers, resulting in island inundation. The foremost concern centers on the widespread displacement stemming from land loss. Empirical evidence and forecasts underscore the acute vulnerability of the delta region, with segments of Mousuni and Ghoramara Islands already submerged. The Sundarbans teeters on the precipice of what could potentially become one of the largest human migrations in history, with Kolkata looming as the next probable destination,” Supratim explained the threats.

The photographer also shared what message he hoped for the viewers to take away from his photo.

“Sundarbans is always my second hometown, as I have mentioned. I have covered almost each and every cyclone over there. During cyclones, the experience I got is unforgettable. I see people are moving everywhere for shelter, their home is being swept away by storm surges, their suffering to collect drinking water. I feel bad for the children of Sundarbans because they really do not deserve it in between the environmental turbulence. Their books, documents are being swept away each and every cyclone. So, there is no specific experience to be mentioned.

I was born in South 24 Parganas and raised here, which is the most vulnerable district to super cyclones. So, I never faced any difficulties while working in my region. I have been among super cyclones several times to capture disasters and this journey will be continuing until the situation is restored a bit.

Photography is a powerful tool that illustrates the reality and its impact on human and animal life. My long-term raw photographs capture the momentary disasters of various places, revealing the actual scenarios and the hardships the people endure. Policymakers can easily discern the helplessness of human life through these frames.”

“I consider photography a medium that can achieve what several articles cannot. By choosing long-term projects, I often visit the same place twice a month to ensure I depict the struggles of human life facing water crises, environmental disasters, poverty, and more. Through my pictures, I aim to present visual evidence of our blue planet's condition. I plan to showcase comparative images to highlight changes in specific places over 5-10 years, making it easier for conscious individuals and environmentalists to see the differences. Additionally, I strive to illuminate how future generations may be deprived of certain natural delights that we were fortunate to enjoy.

Consequently, active control measures should be taken by the government, knowledgeable citizens, and environmental workers to mitigate impending damages. While we can draw borders between states and nations to check illegal immigrants, we cannot draw a border in the air to prevent pollution from spreading. Hence, there is an immediate need to conserve our environment to make it a better living place for future generations.

Each of my pictures is unique, capturing a fraction of a second with far-reaching implications.

Through my work, I want to convey the fierceness of our beautiful environment and the urgent need for rapid action before we lose it forever. I hope my selection of photographs will help people understand the injuries we, as human beings, have inflicted on nature and how it is now retaliating,” wrote Supratim.

There is no doubt that photographing and sharing the stories behind mangroves is extra important. Therefore, we were curious what advice Leo Thom would give to aspiring photographers who aim to capture the essence of mangrove ecosystems and make their work stand out in future competitions.

“I think like any hobby or discipline, the more you practice, the better you get at it. And in the same way, the more you understand your subject which you are photographing, the better you will be able to capture what it is that you are seeing and want the viewer to see. So, my advice is to spend time within the mangroves; understand the tides, the dynamics, and how people or wildlife you are interested in are interacting with it. It’s fascinating and you will start to see the magic hidden within these ecosystems.”

Supratim also shared his advice to photographers passionate about environmental conservation.

“If you aspire to become an environmental conservationist through photography, passion for the environment is essential. You must possess in-depth knowledge of the regions where you work and build strong connections with climate-vulnerable communities. Remember, a photograph's beauty alone is not enough; it must also be powerful. Only then can it create a significant impact on global audiences and prompt policymakers to take action for the betterment of humanity.”

Regarding technological advancements in photography, we asked Leo Thom to share his view of these tools helping photographers better capture and convey the critical importance of mangrove ecosystems.

Leo wrote: “With better cameras in different shapes and sizes becoming more available to everyone, you can really see the increase in diversity and quality looking through the last 10 years of the photography awards. I’d say we receive so many more drone aerial photos now than we used to, camera-trap photos and underwater. I think it’s brilliant to utilise these new technologies, especially as mangroves are tough environments to work in. Of course, these tools bring new perspectives also, and it can give us new insights into the importance of mangroves within the bigger ecosystem. When flying drones, do be careful about the impact it can have on birdlife.”