,

PAST FIRES WARN THE FUTURE (Portugal) Category: Climate Change, Loss of Biodiversity

,

YRE Competition 2022
1st Place - Photo reportage of 3-5 photos
11-25 years old

YRE Competition 2022
2nd Place - Photo reportage of 3-5 photos
11-25 years old

By Luís Martins

Since the beginning of 2021, in Portugal, 1,200 fires have occurred and an area of 5,477 hectares has burned, according to the note issued by the Lusa news agency on the data sent by the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection. In other words, the fires have more than doubled compared to March 2020, translating into an area burned almost seven times larger, leading to reflection on the government's forestry strategy, against the backdrop of the tragic fires of 2017.

The data sent to Lusa by Civil Protection regarding the fires that occurred between January 1st and March 25th, 2021, indicate that 83% occurred in bushland areas. This increase reminds and alarms to the importance of a good forest strategy, such as clearing, land preparation and good reforestation, in order to avoid more dramatic situations, bringing to mind the devastating fires of 2017. "Prevent so as not to have to remedy", for our President of the Republic, should be the motto for the National Action Programme of the Integrated Rural Fire Management Plan.

The progression of the flames in areas of scrub and eucalyptus, threatening homes // Photography Luís Martins

Whenever the skies of Braga darken with smoke, the fears of the past reignite // Photography Luís Martins

The presence of peacekeepers in the most complicated moments // Luís Martins photo

The importance of aerial means requires previous and sensible planning // Luís Martins Photography

The remarkable resilience of nature after the fires // Photography Luís Martins

DISSEMINATION

https://jra.abae.pt/plataforma/fotografia/os-incendios-do-passado-alertam-o-futuro/

https://www.facebook.com/jraportugal/posts/5434223649932227

https://twitter.com/yreportugal/status/1528421553158901760

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQLYxvXsKxx/

Photo Reportage of 3-5 Photos, 11-25 years

1st Place

Title: Frog Taxi

Country: Slovakia

2nd Place

Title: Past fires warn the future

Country: Portugal

FROG TAXI (Slovakia) Category: Loss of Biodiversity

YRE Competition 2022
1st Place - Photo reportage of 3-5 photos
11-25 years old

By Hana Noščáková

In the spring, frogs from the local forest need to overcome barriers to reach ponds. At the suggestion of their teacher, a group of student volunteers decided to provide a frog taxi and transport them safely to their mating site. The barriers were stretched out by conservationists; the volunteers walk along them with their equipment - buckets and gloves. The frogs waiting at the barriers are picked up, transferred to the water and released. Thus students help maintain the uniqueness and biodiversity of the forest environment.

The professor delights in helping out. She lifts a frog at the barrier, and puts it into the bucket.

Students pick up the frogs and add them to their buckets, which are getting heavier.

As this is mountainous terrain, both students and frogs overcome obstacles.

On the other side, frogs are released in the water. The barriers remain throughout the mating period.

Frogs mate in the water, lay their eggs, and then return to the forest where they came from.

Photo Reportage of 3-5 Photos, 11-25 years

1st Place

Title: Frog Taxi

Country: Slovakia

2nd Place

Title: Past fires warn the future

Country: Portugal

,

TERRIFYING LIGHT (Montenegro) Category: Pollution, Loss of Biodiversity

,

YRE Competition 2022
Single Photo Reportage
11-25 years old

By Arijana Adrović

The photo was taken during a forest fire in May 2021, which lasted for several days and was extinguished by an action of the residents of Donja Vrbica in the municipality of Petnjica in the north of Montenegro.

Fascinating Tyndall effect created by scattering light rays through pollution particles. As impressive as the photo may seem at first glance due to the motifs of the sun's rays, what caused this effect also caused the complete destruction of vegetation in a significant forest area.

Our world is slipping down the drain (Canada)

YRE Competition 2021
Photo Campaign
11-25 years old

The life of our planet is slowly draining away. Light needs to be shed on this dark hole that is gradually devouring our world. The apathy and neglect towards our planet is speeding up the process of degradation in our environment. Reduced biodiversity presents a direct threat towards millions of people and the health of our ecosystems. Alarmingly, pollution has also become a contributing factor towards ecosystem endangerment and global warming. With the world crippling beneath our feet, action needs to be taken in order to achieve a beautiful and healthy planet.

original.jpeg

@YRECompetition2021

Single Photo Campaign, 11-25 years

1st Place
Title: Our World is Slipping Down the Drain
Country: Canada

2nd Place
Title: Disposable Masks’ Double flight
Country: Portugal

Honourable Mention
Title: Sweet destruction
Country: Iceland

The waste collecting woman who is no waste (Ghana)

YRE Competition 2021
Photo reportage of 3-5 photos
11-25 years

Photographer: David Kojo Dagadu (age 19), Apeguso Senior High school, Akosombo, Ghana.

About the woman who collects the plastic waste from his teacher Margaret Ayerno´s house. 

“A woman living in a suburb of Akosombo, was collecting the used water sachets bags at my house but she wanted to stop, because according to her, people were making fun of her because she was collecting the waste. So I encouraged her, and she continued. I packed mine neatly for her when she came to my house. (Photo number 1.)

Just before the covid she bought a piece of traditional cloth from the proceeds she realized from the sales of the used water sachets. The meaning of the pattern of the traditional cloth she bought is "You think I will be a waste". Because she had no job, people think she is useless and that is why when she got the money she decided to buy that particular cloth which has such a name. (Photo number 2).

I donated an Eco-Schools T-shirt to her because of the hard work she is doing to protect the environment. (Photo number 3).

I educated the fishmonger that the plastic would kill the fish if it was not prevented from ending up in the water. The fishmonger women, who had started buying the plastics from them, now take the collected plastic waste to the recycling factories for the women that collect it. (Photo number 4).

Now she has created a good market for the used sachets so more women are collecting. (Photo number 5).

I tried organizing the students at Akosombo International School to cover their story with an article, but because of the COVID-19 situation at the school they were not allowed to leave the school's premises. Luckily David came along from Apeguso High School to take the photos. I am now planning to organize the waste pickers and form a Women Eco-Club in their locality where our Eco-Schools students can come and share their knowledge on the importance of good waste management with them when COVID-19 is over. The story reflects many of the SDG´s such as 1, 4.7, 12,14 and 15.”

Margaret Ayernor

Eco-Schools coordinator; Akosombo


DESCRIPTION

The photos above are taken by David on the topic of plastic pollution and how if we do not stop, reduce, reuse or recycle our plastic waste , they can end up polluting our environments (SDG 15) oceans (SDG 14) . Tackling the idea of responsible consumption (SDG 12) , income generation through using waste as resource to reduce poverty (SDG 1) while contributing to lifelong learning through non-formal education (SDG 4)

@YRECompetition2021

Photo Reportage of 3-5 Photos, 11-25 years

1st Place
Title: The waste collecting woman who is no waste.
Country: Ghana

2nd Place
Title: The Scythe for Life
Country: Slovakia

The end of the world (Montenegro)

YRE Competition 2021
Single photo reportage
11-25 years

Djordje Pejović, Secondary vocational school "Spasoje Raspopović", Podgorica (MONTENEGRO)


The disappearance of Biogradsko Lake

Biogradsko Lake, which is the heart of the Biogradska gora National Park (on the Tentative List of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves), is one step closer to drying up. Like most glacial lakes, it is doomed to disappear slowly.

The upper part of the lake often dries up completely, and the water level is very low. The reasons for the disappearance are various - glaciation, the appearance of abysses... In the place of perfect beauty, not so beautiful images of the "end of the world" appear. With the disappearance of the lake, its living world and the heart of one of the last three large virgin rain forests in Europe will disappear.

@YRECompetition2021

Single Photo Reportage, 11-25 years

1st Place
Title: The end of the world
Country: Montenegro

Honourable Mentions
Title: Hope
Country: Malta

The ''Red lake'' near Dobro Selo in B&H

YRE Competition 2020
Single photo reportage
11-25 years old

This is "Red Lake", a problem of Herzegovina and the entire region that is desperate for rehabilitation. A reminder of a failed factory and its forgotten landfill.

Red sludge is toxic due to high alkalinity and heavy metal content.

There are scientific papers on the topic of sludge and waste lye remediation. It can be used to produce a gelatinous coagulant which is a means of purifying industrial wastewater.

 There are other ways to successfully rehabilitate the sludge, but question remains whether the regional authorities want to deal with it and try to obtain funds, which are obviously a problem.

IMG-20200729-WA0001.jpg

By: Andrea Cetina

Five alternative solution models to the eco-apocalypse from the new rurals (Turkey)

YRE Competition 2020
Photo reportage of 3-5 photos
11-25

In Turkey, for the last 20 years, the new rurals/new pioneers who started back-to-the-land movement have applied alternative models against ecological apocalypse. New rurals are certain that by 2030, the world will struggle with the problems of drought, famine, climate crisis, immigration, diseases and etc., invite everyone immediately to have eco-consciousness!

Authors: Elif Pınar Sevinç, Tarık Bayri, İlker Can Koçulu, Selin Gürel, Ozan Gümüşoğlu, Ayşenur Ataseven, Alperen Alaş, Emre Uzunoğlular, Aytek Başkan, Şevval İpek, Harun Gecü, Zeynep Lara Yüce

Stop Sucking The Life Out Of Our Oceans (Canada)

YRE Competition 2019
1st Place as a campaign photo
15-18 years old

Approximately 57 million straws are used by Canadians daily, and where do they end up? In our landfills and oceans. Instead of biodegrading or dissolving, plastic only breaks down into tiny pieces called “micro-plastics” that are ingested by marine life and bio-accumulates down the food chain. In addition, producing plastic emits a large amount of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

YRE 15-18, 1st place as campaign - Stop sucking the life out of our oceans - Canada.jpg

Author: Luckshana Ganeshananda

The secret life of the market (Slovakia)

YRE Competition 2019
1st Place as a reportage photo
11-14 years old

The photo captures the unique way in which some sellers at Miletičova Market have dealt with fruits and vegetables that would have been wasted.

One salesperson put unsold, somewhat unsightly, potatoes in a box and left them on a shelf for people who needed them. In the past she had thrown them into the green waste bin, among rotten bits and pieces and leaves. Other vendors joined her, creating a beautiful link between people who do not meet, but still have a "secret alliance" with each other.

YRE 11-14, 1st place as reportage - The secret life of the market - Slovakia.jpg

Author: Hana Noščáková

Garbage Feast (South Korea)

YRE Competition 2018
1st Place as a campaign photo
15-18 years old

What did you have for lunch?

Every day, over 40,000 tons of garbage is produced in Seoul. This garbage is burnt and pollutes the atmosphere, buried underground and deteriorates soil quality, and destroys the aquatic ecosystem through irresponsible disposal. Garbage gets diversified exponentially, and it becomes dirty food for the Earth. She is cramming this garbage feast.

South Korea 2.jpg

Made by student from South Korea.

Clean water - a given in the future? (Sweden)

YRE Competition 2018
1st Place as a campaign photo
15-18 years old

Every day in Sweden, around 350 million litres drinkable water disappear down the drain while 2.1 billion people worldwide suffer from a lack of clean drinking water. According to the sixth global goal, world leaders have decided that by the year 2030 the entire world should have access to clean water and sanitation. At the same time, we in Sweden overconsume clean water like never before. Do Swedes really need to flush the toilet as many times a day as we actually do, and why do we not use sea or waste water in our toilets?

In fact, a huge amount of energy and money goes towards cleaning all the water we flush down our toilets. This is money which could actually be saved and instead put towards, on the one hand, helping those without clean drinking water today and, on the other, creating a more sustainable future.

Sweden.jpg

Sources:
Avloppsguiden. Typical WC. http://husagare.avloppsguiden.se/vanligwc.html(Available 22/01/18).
UNDP. Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation. http://www.globalamalen.se/omglobalamalen/mal6tillgangtillrentvattenochsanitet/ (Available 22/01/18).
Unicef. Water and sanitation. https://unicef.se/fakta/vattenochsanitet(Available 22/01/18).

Made by students from Sweden.

On tiptoes (Slovakia)

YRE Competition 2018
1st Place as a reportage photo
11-14 years old

Slovakia.jpg

These very large garbage containers are not suitable for small children. Considering these garbage bins are difficult to open, pensioners have trouble with them, too. As a result, garbage often ends up beside the containers. Isn’t it time that these garbage cans are replaced with a modern solution?

Made by student from Slovakia

Note from Jury: Garbage containers should be accessible for everyone while remaining safe.

Wounds in the landscape (Portugal)

YRE Competition 2017
1st Place as a journalistic photo
19-21 years old

“This marble quarry is located in Estremoz. In this region, marbles are located in an anticline, a fold that is convex up and has its oldest beds at its core. In global terms, the collision of the two continental blocks gave way to a new great continent named “Pangea”. The carbonate raw materials located in the surface were buried to a maximum depth of 5 km, thus giving rise to the marble of Extremoz. The marble quarry is currently exploited for civil construction and ornamental use. Moreover, this rocks are mined for several years using open pit methods, which has a significant impact not only in what concerns the environment and landscape, but also in the Portuguese exports. The heaps are storage without special concerns, which means that there’s a real risk of soil and groundwater contamination. This situation has a great influence on the permeability of the soil, uptake of nutrients and, therefore, the fertility of the soil. Thus, grazing cover is destroyed and cork oak forests,which occupies a predominant place in the region, are undermined”.

___________

Bibliography:

Lopes, L. O Triangulo do mármore. Évora.

Oliveira, J. T. (2013). Geologia da região de Estremoz.

Rodriguez, C. F., & Azpiroz, M. D. Geología de la Zona de Ossa Morena (Huelva).

Made by student from Portugal.

Doksasmeni Lake (Cyprus)

YRE Competition 2017
1st Place a journalistic photo
15-18 years old

The forest of Galata is mesmerising during Winter when caramel leaves start to fall. The picture is presented upside down, as the water reflect the beautiful colours of the sunset making the lake look like the sky, thus creating an illusion!

Doksasmeni lake is mainly used for agricultural purposes such as watering. Due to climate change the total rainfall in Cyprus has been reduced tremendously in the past years, thus man made, concrete lakes had to be built.

Made by student from Cyprus.

Heritage? (Slovakia)

YRE Competition 2017
1st Place as journalistic photo
11-14 years old

The nickel smelter in Sereď was once the pride of Czechoslovakia. What is left for now are just millions of tons of sludge - waste from the nickel production. Already my great grandfather, then my grandfather and my dad looked at it, and now we still look at it. Will our grandchildren have to look at this cairn of unhappiness, too? Is this the kind of thing we want to leave behind?

Made by student from Slovakia.

For a brighter future (Sweden)

YRE Competition 2017
1st Place as a campaign photo
15-18 years old

We’re in a critical situation. Time to face reality. The dream of a healthy world’s beginning to fade. Do you remember what we’re fighting for? Will our children understand the meaning of a healthy, green world?

After nine uses, glass defeats plastic containers in the battle of low carbon emissions. After 200 uses, the overall emissions attributed to glass are 500 grams of carbon dioxide. The same number of plastic containers use 3,000 grams, which contribute to the greenhouse effect. The world’s greatest environmental threat.

Ninety percent of the raw materials needed to make glass can be substituted with broken glass. Only a small portion of plastic materials can be recycled. The rest are various fillers, which go to waste.

Are you aware of the world we live in? You’re the consumer. You consume every day. It’s time to look beyond the problem, ensure that there’s a solution. Reuse. Recycle.

Sources:

“Climate-smart choices of beverage containers”, Stockholm County Council, 2016 http://www.sll.se/Global/Om%20landstinget/Miljo/Klimatsmarta-val-dryckesbagare.pdf Accessed: 2017-01-26

“Recycling”, Stockholm Regional Waste Council, 2007-07-18 http://www.atervinningscentralen.se/web/page.aspx?refid=180Accessed: 2017-01-26

Made by students from Sweden.

The goat liked it (Montenegro)

YRE Competition 2017
1st Place as a journalistic photo
11-14 years old

Waste and animals

Nowadays, there are more and more people who do not dispose waste in the appropriate places. The real problem is the lack of these places trash bins, containers, landfills). For this reason, animals and plants get in contact with the waste, which has a harmful effect on them and their health. This may cause suffocation and poisoning to animals.

Dispose waste in appropriate places! Protect animals!

Made by student from Montenegro.