Ocean Rage


  • Photographer
    Matilde Gattoni
  • Prize
    Honorable Mention
  • Date of Photograph
    Feb-March 2016

Shot in Ghana, Togo and Benin, “Ocean Rage” documents the devastating effects of climate change on the coasts of West Africa. As a direct consequence of global warming and sea level rise, the coastline is eroding at a pace of up to 36 meters per year, disrupting the lives of tens of millions of people in 13 countries by fueling economic crisis, criminal activities and an endless wave of migration towards the West. It's the harbinger of what the whole world will experience if mankind won't be able to find a viable balance between progress and environmental conservation.

Story

Shot in Ghana, Togo and Benin, “Ocean Rage” documents the devastating effects climate change is having on the coasts of West Africa.
As a direct consequence of global warming and sea level rise, the coastline is eroding at a pace of up to 36 meters per year, disrupting the lives of tens of millions of people in 13 countries by fueling economic crisis, criminal activities and an endless wave of migration towards the West.
As the ocean wipes away villages, shrines and plantations, it also destroys the livelihood, cultural heritage and social fabric of entire communities, pushing their thousands-year-old way of life on the brink of extinction.
It's the harbinger of what the whole world will experience if mankind won't be able to find a viable balance between progress and environmental conservation. This conundrum is rapidly becoming the most pressing issue of our times and that is the message I am trying to convey through my body of work.
This series is part of a long-term project on the relationship between human activities and nature I embarked on three years ago, which brought me to cover issues such as illegal mining, mass migrations, wars and large scale land grabbing.

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