Greenstorm Photo Festival Heads to COP15 in Victoria Falls

 

Greenstorm Photo Festival Heads to COP15 in Victoria Falls

 

The Greenstorm Photo Festival has been invited to exhibit its winning images at the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP15), happening from 23 - 30 July 2025, at Victoria Falls Zimbabwe.

Recognised for using the power of photography to tell the story of fragile ecosystems, Greenstorm will now represent India at one of the world’s most influential environmental gatherings.

 

Putting Wetlands in Focus

A selection of photographs from this year’s theme — “Beautiful Wetlands” — will be on display at COP15, placing Greenstorm Foundation and its Kochi roots at the centre of global conversations on nature and climate.

 

“Wetlands are our planet’s natural infrastructure... But they are being degraded and destroyed faster than any other ecosystem.”
 — Dr. Musonda Mumba, Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands and Chief Guest at the 16th Greenstorm Award Ceremony

Watch the award ceremony: 16th Greenstorm Photo Festival Award Ceremony

Why It Matters: The Wetland Emergency

The Global Wetland Outlook 2025, released last week, paints a worrying picture. Wetlands are disappearing faster than any other ecosystem. If we don't act now, we could lose up to 20% of the remaining wetlands by 2050, along with USD 39 trillion worth of benefits — from clean water and flood protection to carbon storage and biodiversity.

 

Celebrating 16 Years of Greenstorm

The 16th edition of the Greenstorm Photo Festival was launched on World Wetlands Day, 2 February 2025, underscoring the festival’s deep commitment to environmental conservation. This year, the festival received an overwhelming 11,835 entries from 155 countries, reaffirming its status as one of the world’s largest platforms for environmental storytelling.

A two-level jury process shortlisted the top 30 finalists, whose works were digitally exhibited on www.greenstorm.green. The online gallery attracted thousands of global visitors, who explored and celebrated the visual narratives capturing the beauty and urgency of wetland conservation.

The festival culminated in a virtual award ceremony on 21 July, bringing together a global community of environmentalists, photographers, and changemakers.

 

 

Meet the Winners

Dr. Muralee Thummarukudy, Director of the G20 Global Land Initiative (GLI) under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), announced the winners. The G20 GLI sponsored the festival for the second consecutive year. The initiative harnesses the power of photography to highlight the degradation of terrestrial ecosystems and inspire global action, with the aim of reducing degraded land by 50 per cent by 2040.

Grand Prize Winner (US$10,000)

 

 

Steven Triet (Vietnam) – for his awe-inspiring image of Vietnam’s misty rice terraces.

 

Special Jury Mentions (US$1,000 each):

 

●     Hanifi Koç (Turkey) -  Captured at Akyatan Lagoon in Karataş, this photograph frames a fleeting moment as flamingos gather during their October migration.

●     Aref Tahmasebi (UAE) - Photographed from 12,000 meters above sea level on a flight from Dubai to Tehran, this image reveals more than just terrain - it captures the memory of vanishing rivers etched deep into the Earth.

●     Pepe Manzanilla (Costa Rica) - extraordinary split-shot, a tiny frog becomes the bridge between two realms - land and water

Judging by Legends

The winners were chosen by a global jury that included photography legends Charlie Waite (UK), Latika Nath (India), and Nick Hall (USA). The jury celebrated the festival for pushing creative limits and offering fresh, deeply human perspectives on the world’s vulnerable wetlands.

 

Kochi to the World

“That a Kerala-based initiative is now part of global environmental discourse is a proud moment for us all.”
 — Dileep Narayanan, Founder and Managing Trustee, Greenstorm Foundation

What began in 2009 as a CSR project of Organic BPS has grown into a truly global youth movement, engaging over 12 million young people across 150+ countries.