This year’s photography competition invited photographers to submit images that depicted the relationship between water and money. WIN received many wonderful entries from all around the world, and we want to thank all those who took part.
Check out the top 10 images below:
1st Place – Antoine Delepiere
The winning photo by Antoine Delepiere depicts the mismanagement of finances by private operators in the running and maintenance of water points in the Podor region of Senegal. The image, taken from an interesting vantage point, shows how both humans and animals rely on the same water source, and the accompanying caption illustrates how this has led to health problems for nomad communities. A fascinating angle combines with well-executed composition to create an image that tells a rich story about the effects of poor integrity in managing water finances.
Sharing water resources with animals – Senegal, Podor Region
Public water points are managed by private operators who don’t take responsibilities for the protection of water points, used by both humans and animals (nomad populations). This has led to the contamination of water and subsequent health problems. The money is not used to provide a good quality service. There is a lack of transparency and integrity in the management of the water points, and no follow up from the state.
RUNNER UP – Sony Ramany
Dagair Government Primary School, Demra, Dhaka, Bangladesh
With scarcity of drainage facilities, areas get flooded with little rain. The situation worsens as rainwater gets logged for days, making it difficult for school goers and locals to move from one place to the other. With huge amounts of corruption, the proposed 8 feet-width drains are constructed with only 2 feet-width, making the drains overflow in just minutes after a heavy shower of rain pours down during the rainy season.
RUNNER UP – Somenath Mukhopadhyay
West Bengal
This picture shows a boy in rural West Bengal getting back home with very little water that he collected from a pond, as all water sources nearby had gone dry during an extreme summer. This picture reflects the fact that there are many households that are denied access to clean water due to poverty, and lack of resources.
Akhlas Uddin
Victim Farmers of Corruption – Shonir Haor, Sunamganj District, Bangladesh
Local children are sitting on raw paddy stacks, watching the dam broken water waves on their rice field in Shonir Haor, Sunamganj, Bangladesh. The farmers are claiming that due to the corruption of the water development board, every year the dam is damaged by crops. The governor of Bangladesh allocates millions of taka every year for the construction of dams in the crop fields. But without proper construction, those in charge embezzle the money related to the project. On March 27, 2017 the country’s Haor areas were suddenly flooded with water. The dam had broken down, and the harvest of more than 142 Haors had already been submerged. The situation is terrible.
Zakir Hossain
Dhaka, Bangladesh
The world’s most densely populated city is Dhaka. The demand for water in the capital cannot be met by the government due to the corruption in the water sector. Even tube-well water is not sufficient for the population. They have to suffer the inadequate supply of water and they have to spend extra money for drinking water.
Sourav Karmakar
Cleaning up Yamuna – Agra, India
The Yamuna Action Plan (YAP) is a project between the Government of India and Japan. It’s one of the largest running river restoration projects in India. The Government of Japan, via the Japanese Bank for International Cooperation, has provided aid of 17.7 billion yen to carry out the project, which is being executed by the National River Conservation Directorate, the Ministry of Environment and Forest, and the Government of India. This picture shows the above mentioned river restoration project being executed in front of the Taj Mahal at the bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, India.
Dany del Pino Rodriguez
Old Plaza, Havana, Cuba
A few years ago, the government decided to finance the repair all of the hydraulic systems in Havana’s historical center. Repairs took many years. But now, after the construction has ended, problems with the vital liquid continue. Many people think that all of the problems are caused by an increase in tourists, who are competing for the vital service. This picture was taken at a popular tourist plaza in Havana’s Historical Center. Some locals collect their water here.
Sagar J. Gondaliya
Chargeable Water – Gujarat, India
Sudeepto Salam
Waste of Water – Dhaka, Bangladesh
Water flows continuously from makeshift taps all over Old Dhaka. Water is scarce, but the authorities do nothing to control this unabated waste of water.
Ivan Josef A. Sarenas
Tondo, Manila, Philippines
The exposed pipes and hoses give opportunities for pilferage and theft, but this picture shows a boy sourcing water during the day, and paying the pipe “owner” some coins for the access.
Winner of the ‘Best Smartphone Photo’ Prize – Simone Klawitter
Settling the Bill – Afar Region, Ethiopia
A woman from Afar Region, Ethiopia, pays her water bill. She lives with her family in a remote small town where water is provided and metered at peri-urban household level by a local utility. The picture was taken during a field survey on behalf of UNICEF to review and analyse alternative O&M options for rural and peri-urban water supply in Ethiopia in 2017.
Huge thanks goes to our jury members for their contributions: Dr Tania Rodiger-Vorwek, Marcio Pimenta, Abraham Abhishek, Marketa Hulpachova
Congratulations to all winners!
See previous photo competition winners:
WIN photo competition 2009: the impact of corruption in the water sector
WIN photo competition 2011: urban water
WIN photo competition 2012: water for food
WIN photo competition 2013: cooperation in water
WIN photo competition 2017: wastewater and integrity
Stay tuned for the 2019 Photo Competition opportunity, which we will announce later this year!