SECOND PLACE WINNER - Editorial: Environmental (PROFESSIONAL)
Aralkum - A man made desert
Photo © Simone Tramonte
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One of the planet's worst environmental disasters is technically ongoing with very little efforts to make people and government aware of it: since it involves the most important resource on Earth – water – its magnitude is even more overwhelming.
The Aral Sea was once one of the largest lakes in the world: most of our printed atlas still report its size as it was before the sixties, when the entire surface of 26.000 square miles began to shrink: since the surrounding areas were mostly desert, the Soviet government started to transform the environment by diverting the course of the two main rivers who fed the Aral, in order to grow cereals and cotton.
The lake was doomed: thirty years later the surface of the water measured only one third of its original size. The fishing industry, settled on both northern and southern coastlines, was destroyed. Unemployment and poverty changed the economy of the entire region. Lack of water and the emerging of chemical waste from the ground of the lake brought pollution and health issues.
Today less than 10% of the lake surface is still visible: reaching the coastline requires one day on a cross-country vehicle, driving through the desert from the former fishing port of Moynaq.
In his photography Simone has always paid particular attention to political, environmental and anthropological issues and has embarked upon a freelance career to focus on a combination of long-term personal projects and client assignments.
His projects have been published in international magazines such as Internazionale, National Geographic, Geo, Indipendent, The Guardian, The Telegraph, Southeast Asia Globe, CameraRaw, TheTripMagazine, Sguardi.
This works has been exhibited at Fotoleggendo in Rome, at the Chiostro del Bramante in Rome, at the ArtBasel of Basel, at the Kolga Tbilisi Festival of Georgia.
He has been awarded some international prizes whit the “International Photography Award”, the “Grand Prix de Paris – PX3”, the “International Photographer of the Year - IPOTY”, the “Sony WPO Award”, and the “Moscow International Foto Award”.
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One of the planet's worst environmental disasters is technically ongoing with very little efforts to make people and government aware of it: since it involves the most important resource on Earth – water – its magnitude is even more overwhelming.
The Aral Sea was once one of the largest lakes in the world: most of our printed atlas still report its size as it was before the sixties, when the entire surface of 26.000 square miles began to shrink: since the surrounding areas were mostly desert, the Soviet government started to transform the environment by diverting the course of the two main rivers who fed the Aral, in order to grow cereals and cotton.
The lake was doomed: thirty years later the surface of the water measured only one third of its original size. The fishing industry, settled on both northern and southern coastlines, was destroyed. Unemployment and poverty changed the economy of the entire region. Lack of water and the emerging of chemical waste from the ground of the lake brought pollution and health issues.
Today less than 10% of the lake surface is still visible: reaching the coastline requires one day on a cross-country vehicle, driving through the desert from the former fishing port of Moynaq.
About author:
Simone Tramonte was born in Rome in 1976 and after graduating in Economics he decided to devote his attention to photography. He is a freelance photographer that works and is mainly based in Rome, Italy.In his photography Simone has always paid particular attention to political, environmental and anthropological issues and has embarked upon a freelance career to focus on a combination of long-term personal projects and client assignments.
His projects have been published in international magazines such as Internazionale, National Geographic, Geo, Indipendent, The Guardian, The Telegraph, Southeast Asia Globe, CameraRaw, TheTripMagazine, Sguardi.
This works has been exhibited at Fotoleggendo in Rome, at the Chiostro del Bramante in Rome, at the ArtBasel of Basel, at the Kolga Tbilisi Festival of Georgia.
He has been awarded some international prizes whit the “International Photography Award”, the “Grand Prix de Paris – PX3”, the “International Photographer of the Year - IPOTY”, the “Sony WPO Award”, and the “Moscow International Foto Award”.
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