The Adaptation Fund has launched a photo contest under the theme of “Adapting Coasts and Watersheds”. The contest is open to the public and the submission period runs from April 22 to June 3, 2016.

Theme: Adapting Coasts and Watersheds

With 50% of the world’s population living within 60 km of the sea and 75% of all large cities located by the ocean, coastal areas are a major source for livelihoods through fishing, other natural resources, boating, trade, tourism and recreation. But coastal areas are under increasing pressure from climate change (sea rise, rising water temperature, storm intensification, flooding and erosion) and pollution, which makes them one of the hot spots for adaptation activities as seen in the Adaptation Fund’s project portfolio.

Furthermore, important inland watersheds are equally threatened by climate change-related droughts, floods, and extreme rainfall variability, as well as damaged natural protective ecosystems like degraded forests, wetlands, grasslands and polluted rivers from runoff or contamination. Adaptation efforts to enhance both urban and rural water resources management through projects that reduce disaster risks, increase forest protection, biodiversity conservation, water harvesting, drip irrigation agriculture and landslide control all have tremendous benefits in improving the watershed’s sustainability.

The Adaptation Fund encourages people to depict the effects of climate change and adaptation actions already taking place or that are urgently needed on coasts and inland watersheds. The theme can cover environmental, urban and rural environments and may include a human element to convey people’s dependence on coasts and river watersheds and the importance of maintaining these life-giving habitats.

How to participate

Participate in the contest by sending your photo to afbsec@adaptation-fund.org with the subject line ‘Photo Contest’ by June 3, 2016.

The contest is open to the public, i.e. all those aged 18 and above, including people in the Adaptation Fund partner organizations. Implementing organizations, executing entities, project workers and beneficiaries, NGOs, governments and the general public are eligible to participate, excluding Adaptation Fund Board Secretariat employees or their family members. The participants may submit several photos and are not limited to one.

Photo requirements and photo rights

• Format: jpg
• Resolution 300 dpi (lower resolution photo may be submitted, but the participant must have the high resolution version available)
• The participant may submit several photos and are not limited to one
• The participant must maintain the full rights to the submitted material
• The submission must include the photographer’s name and title, title of the photo, and a caption, describing what is taking place, when and where and, if relevant, who the people are.
• AF has rights to use the photos in digital form to upload on its social media channels. AF may also exhibit the submitted photos in its events

Selection process and criteria

The Adaptation Fund Board Secretariat has gathered a panel consisting of members of its stakeholders and staff that includes representatives of NGOs from diverse countries and climate change sectors. The panel will decide the top 3 winners and up to 3-5 honorable mentions. In addition to the panel’s choices, a ‘people’s favorite’ will be selected by voting on Facebook where all the submitted photos will be posted during the contest. The photo that has most Likes or Loves will be awarded as the People’s Champion. Voting on Facebook is open to the general public and the photos can be found on Adaptation Fund’s Facebook photo album.

The Panel will be using the following criteria for selecting the winning photos:

• Relevance to the specific theme and AF’s mission of helping vulnerable communities adapt to climate change
• Visual Impact
• Originality
• Informational Value / Raising Awareness to Importance of Adaptation

Panel members

• Fazal Issa (CCForum Tanzania / Adaptation Fund NGO Network)
• Christian Rossi (AF’s adaptation project in Honduras)
• Hugo Remaury (Adaptation Fund, Climate Change Specialist)
• Elizabeth B. George (Adaptation Fund Board Secretariat)

Prizes

The top photos will be promoted in Adaptation Fund’s social media and events: Top photos selected by the Panel and people’s votes will be exhibited at the World Bank in Washington, DC, in June. Some of these photos will also be selected for the Adaptation Fund’s photo exhibit at COP22 in Morocco in November 2016. The winner will receive their photo framed. The top 3-5 winners will also receive Adaptation Fund logo products.