Commons:Wiki Loves Earth 2024/Human rights and environment

In 2024, the Wiki Loves Earth international photo contest again supports the initiative WikiForHumanRights, which partners with the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Its goal is to raise awareness of nature protection and human impacts on nature.

Alongside our general documentation of protected spaces, WLE international will have a special global nomination “Human rights and environment”. When we protect the environment, we also protect the fundamental human rights we all have — rights to water, life, food, housing, and other fundamental rights that rely on a clean, healthy environment. The UN and increasingly more country and regional legal systems have recognized the Right to a Healthy Environment.

For this special nomination, we are looking for images that capture the following

• Humans engaging in activities that rely on a healthy environment or a protected environment (such as livelihoods engaged in sustainable agriculture or fishing practices, sustainable construction, exercise in or enjoyment of natural spaces, etc.);
• Human activity that restores or helps an ecosystem or environment recover from previous damage (i.e., tree planting, waste collection, sustainable management of the land, removing invasive species, etc.);
• The negative effects of global environmental issues, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, or pollution, on maintaining environmental and human health (i.e., natural disasters like flooding, landslides, and wildfires, impacts of pollution, waste accumulation);
• How human activity infringes on the natural systems we rely on for human and environmental health through extractive industries (such as forestry, mining, and destructive agriculture), construction of destructive infrastructure (i.e., dams and roads), or other activities;
• Where fragmenting or disappearing landscapes highlight ecological damage or loss that affects human well-being (i.e., invasive species, damaged waterways, soil loss, etc);
• People advocating for, protecting, or educating others about how a healthy environment is important for our collective well-being and the well-being of future generations.

Images examples

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  Parque_Nacional_das_Emas_Mario_Barroso_1
  Photograph: Barroso2501
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  Акція бобрів «Не паліть наші хати!» на захист лісів Полісся — 22.11.2013 (12)
  Photograph: Olegandros
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  DSC6600 Rheinaue Bremengrund Schwan am Rhein
  Photograph: Roman.ubl
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  When dreams are like birds, then they fly away
  Photograph: Shameem ul islam
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  Fishers and small island in Lake Burullus - Egypt
  Photograph: Myousry6666
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  Me and You
  Photograph: Mohamed Hozyen
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  Harvesting seaweed in Jambiani
  Photograph: Yann Macherez
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  Egs work for Forest conservation village initiative for cfr rights. Rojkund village Maharashtra 14 May 2019
  Photograph: Lok sangharash Morcha Jalgaon Maharashtra

Notes and FAQ

Other considerations

When taking photos, it is important to consider how the media can be used. Special nomination photos could be used to illustrate Wikipedia articles, news media, and other materials to better communicate humans' reliance on the environment. For guidance on effective photography in this theme, see this Guide for Depicting Climate Change, which is helpful in the context of other environmental issues as well.

Please note that for the general Wiki Loves Earth photo contest, we accept only photos containing an identified natural monument / natural park / protected area, etc. As an exception, we can accept photos taken not in the protected areas for the Human Rights and Environment special nomination. However, participants must provide a clear description of their pictures explaining their relevance for the nomination. Links to Wikipedia or external sources can be provided if necessary.

Note

Human rights topics and topics like environmental destruction may include risks for the photographer or individuals pictured in the photograph. Please be sensitive to the potential risks for your photographed subjects, and do not enter areas or spaces that might endanger you.

Frequently asked questions

• How can I submit my photo to this special nomination?

If you participate in a national Wiki Loves Earth competition, you can choose whether to submit your photo to the special nomination during the upload process. If your country doesn’t hold a regular Wiki Loves Earth competition but you’d like to submit a photo specifically for this special nomination, go to this link to upload your image.

• Is there a limit on the number of photos I can submit?

No, you can submit as many as you like. However, we recommend you upload your best-quality photos representing the topic to increase your chances of winning.

• Can I edit Wikipedia myself to add my photo to an article that doesn’t have images?

Yes, we’d be delighted! As your competition entry is already on Wikimedia Commons, it can easily be re-used on Wikipedia by embedding the photo on the page.

• How will the photos be evaluated?

We'll choose a winner of this nomination on the international level without local evaluation. More details about jury members and experts in these topics will be added here: