Environmental Photographer of the Year Awards 2016 - The Shortlist

A shortlist of breathtaking pictures has been announced for the 2016 Atkins CIWEM Environmental Photographer of the Year Awards.

The extraordinary images have been picked a pool of more than 10,000 applications from photographers across 70 countries.

The awards recognise striking and beautiful photographs that bring out the environmental and social issues that we are facing across our planet. They capture the effects of climate change, natural disasters, and the way the human race is affected by and responds to such issues.

Terry Fuller, CIWEM Chief Executive, said: “Each year we are delighted to receive such a huge number of outstanding entries from photographers and film makers who are inspired by the environment.

“The competition embodies CIWEM’s core aims to improve water and environmental management and raise awareness of the associated social and cultural issues.”

The pictures will be on display at the Royal Geographical Society in London from 29 June to 21 August.

Gravel Workmen

Three men in Bangladesh work in a gravel crushing plant. The conditions are dangerous and the work brings long-term health problems for employees. (Azim Faisal)

Life In Boiler

Workers in India toil inside a furnace, which belches out hot ash and smoke into the air. (Sudipta Dutta Chowdhury)

Church Forest

Kieran Dodds captured a dying phenomenon in his image. He said: ‘In the past century, 95% of Ethiopia’s afro montane forest have been lost through revolutionary land grabs and exploding population growth. The last remnants surround Orthodox church buildings where they have been tended for millennia by priests- conservation is their act of worship. These are country’s genetic treasures, regarded as miniature gardens of Eden, and a microcosm of our global relationship with the environment.’ (Kieran Dodds)

The Plateau

Buddhist monks play basketball in Tibet on a mountainside covered with a dusting of snow. (Luc Forsyth)

Swaling In Dartmoor

A man carries out swaling (controlled burning of gorse) in Dartmoor National Parl. (James Walker)

Transhumance In Spain

A family rides the cattle from their home in Granada to Jaen, a 200km distance. (Susana Giron)

Men In Downtown Village

Man paddle a makeshift across a pond, surrounded by high rise buildings, in China. (Yuyang Liu)

Behind The Taj Mahal

A man picks through garbage in the wasteland behind the Taj Mahal, one of the world’s most recognisable tourist destinations. (Abdul Hadi Mustafa)

The Place I Lost My Legs

A man casts a shadow over the spot where he lost his legs to a tank. (Davoud Ameri)

Fire Burned Forest

Indonesian soldiers wear swimming goggles in a burnt out area in Riau, Indonesia. (YT Haryono)

Approaching Storm

As bad weather threatens in West Bengal, a farmer desperately tries to persuade his animals to return home. (Moni Sankar)

The Worst Drought In 50 Years

A baby sits on a camel travels with his family in Ethiopia as they try and find somewhere with a water source to live. (Jonathan Fontaine)

Sinking Venice

The city of Venice is slowly sinking thanks to the effects of climate change. Here a man stands partly submerged underwater in St Mark’s Square. (Busiello Antonio)

The War Of The Worlds

A statue is illuminated by glowing stars in this surreal picture. (Anton Frolov)

Mainstream For A Day

Arnak Adab’s picture shows a transgender woman dressed as a bride for a major religious ceremony. Adab said: “This is the day when, for once, those who are otherwise marginalized become part of the mainstream. Even though the highest judicial forum of the country granted them recognition as third category of gender, they are yet to get complete acceptance” (Arnak Adab)

Coal Fueled Power Station And Water Intake

Photographer Stuart Cape was captivated by the ‘architecturally elegant water intake juxtaposed against the stark utilitarianism of the stacks of a coal-fueled power station’ in India. (Stuart Cape)

Derelict Industrial Site

Oil slicks across the ground at this abandoned site in Northumberland.

Red On Green

Arthur Kirakozov’s picture shows trees that have fallen victim to illegal deforestation in Indonesia. (Arthur Kirakozoz)