The Best Environmental Photos Of 2021

If you’re a fan of wildlife and nature photography, then you’ve got to see the results of The Environmental Photographer of the Year competition, which just wrapped up its 14th edition.

Hosted by The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management and WaterBear, in partnership with Nikon, the competition showcases inspirational and thought-provoking environmental photos from around the world, while celebrating our ability to survive and innovate while calling attention to our impact on the planet.

Entry to the competition is free and open to all ages in the following categories:

  • Environmental Photographer of the Year
  • Young Environmental Photographer of the Year
  • Environments of the Future
  • Sustainable Cities
  • Climate Action
  • Water and Security
  • The Resilient Award
  • People’s Choice

Having received thousands of submissions from every corner of the globe, the 2021 winners were announced at COP26. Here’s who received the top honours:

Environmental Photographer of the Year: Antonio Aragón Renuncio

environmental photographer of the year
Source: Environmental Photographer of the Year press page

Antonio won for his photo of a child sleeping inside a house destroyed by coastal erosion on Afiadenyigba beach in Ghana, called The Rising Tide Sons. 

Young Environmental Photographer of the Year: Amaan Ali

amaan
Source: Environmental Photographer of the Year press page

Amaan’s photo, called Inferno, shows a boy fighting fires in a forest in Yamuna Ghat, New Delhi, India. 

The Resilient Award: Ashraful Islam

environmental photographer of the year
Source: Environmental Photographer of the Year press page

Ahraful’s striking photograph, called Survive For Alive, shows a flock of sheep searching for grass in cracked soil in Bangladesh, caused by extreme drought in the country. 

Sustainable Cities: Simone Tramonte

simone
Source: Environmental Photographer of the Year press page

This photo, called Net-Zero Transition, depicts a photobioreactor in Reykjanesbaer, Iceland, that produces sustainable astaxanthin using clean geothermal energy.

Climate Action: Kevin Ochieng

environmental photographer of the year
Source: Environmental Photographer of the Year press page

The Last Breath depicts a dystopian imagining of a boy taking in oxygen from the planet, with a sand storm in the background, an artistic warning of incoming changes. 

Water and Security: Sandipani Chattopadhyay

sandipani
Source: Environmental Photographer of the Year press page

Green Barrier shows a boat sailing through the Damodar River in India, that contains vast areas of algal bloom, which is caused by irregular rain and droughts, and stops oxygen from being absorbed by organisms beneath the water. 

Environments of the Future: Michele Lapini

environmental photographer of the year
Source: EPOYear press page

Michele’s photo, simply titled Flood, shows a house submerged in flood water in the Po Valley in Italy. 

Shortlisted images

Ashraful Islam – Fishing in River

ashraful
Source: EPOY

Azim Khan Ronnie – Drying Incense

environmental photographer of the year
Source: EPOY

Celia Kujala – Hooked Pup

celia kujala
Source: EPOY

Giacomo d’Orlando – The Nemo’s Garden

environmental photographer of the year
Source: EPOY

Subrata Dey – Environment Confined in Plastic

subrata
Source: EPOY

Pedro de Oliveira Simões Esteves – Clean Energy

pedro
Source: EPOY

Roberto Bueno – The Polygonal Forest

roberto bueno
Source: EPOY

You can still cast your vote for the People’s Choice category – go to Instagram @environmental_photographer_oty and the photo with the most likes by 1 December will win!

Learn more about The Environmental Photographer of the Year competition at epoty.org


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