The Winners Of “The Environmental Photographer Of The Year 2021” Have Been Announced (26 Pics)

According to a public opinion poll conducted by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in 2020, almost 70% of Americans are extremely and somewhat anxious about the impact of climate change on the planet.

Natural disasters are getting more severe. Scientists are marking new weather records that were not believed to be realistic before. But this is the new reality now and one should start from oneself in order to prevent enormous pollution that is happening right now.

This year, EPOTY has received almost 7,000 images from professional and amateur photographers in over 119 nations. All of the photographs depict the effects of climate change and the most inspirational environmental photography is showcased in the competition.

"The Environmental Photographer of the Year supports the urgent calls to action of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, recognizing the intricate interconnected nature of development, poverty reduction, equality, security and climate action and the unprecedented effort from all sectors of society required to address the defining issues of our time."

The title of the environmental photographer of the year 2021 went to Antonio Aragon Renuncio. He is a documentary photographer from Spain based in Nicaragua. For the last 20 years, he has been working mainly in Africa and Central America, committed to issues relating to global health, poverty, environment, sustainability, diminishing cultures and discrimination.

The photographer revealed in one of his interviews that photography is everything to him. "I really couldn't conceive my life without it. It is a very important part of a whole that I am passionate about."

Another environmental photographer, Amaan Ali, has received the title of the young environmental photographer of the year 2021. He is a freelance photographer based in Delhi, India, but is originally from Giridih, India. The photographer revealed that the inspiration for his work has never been limited to a single thing. "But being a graduate in English literature, I’ve always been influenced by the arts, be it a classical piece by Frederic Chopin or a painting by Claude Monet."

Ali mentioned that climate change has affected everybody. "I feel lucky enough and fortunate enough as a documentary photographer to have this opportunity to contribute to awareness of climate change." Ali hopes that people will become responsible and will contribute to the protection of the environment. The full interview can be found here.