The submissions speak of the harmful and often irreversible effects of exploiting the earth’s resources and reflect on the immediate and long-term impact of unsustainable development on communities across the globe.

Prix Pictet 2009’s theme is “earth”, which refers to the planet, the soil beneath our feet, the marks that man makes on the face of the land - directly through the creation of mines, toxic waste, broken urban waste lands, vast refuse dumps and blasted desert landscapes or indirectly, through the scars left by fire, flood or famine - natural disasters: earthquakes, landslides and volcanoes and the migration of displaced people. The theme last year’s prize was “water”.

This year’s Prix Pictet winner

Kofi Annan, Nobel Laureate and former Secretary General of the United Nations, has awarded this year's prestigious Prix Pictet photography prize for environmental sustainability to British based photographer Nadav Kander and a photography commission to American photographer Ed Kashi at the Passage de Retz, Paris.

The Prix Pictet is an annual search for photographs that communicate powerful messages of global environmental significance under a broad theme. Nadav Kander was nominated for his series of photos, Yangtze, The Long River Series, 2006-07, documenting the rapidly changing landscape and communities of China?s Yangtze River, from its mouth to source.

The photographers were selected from a shorlist of twelve of the world’s leading photographers: Darren Almond, Christopher Anderson, Sammy Baloji, Edward Burtynsky, Andreas Gursky, Naoya Hatakeyama, Nadav Kander, Ed Kashi, Abbas Kowsari, Yao Lu, Edgar Martins and Chris Steele-Perkins.

On the Eve of COP15 – “We can’t afford to fail”

Making the formal presentation at an awards dinner at the Passage de Retz in Paris, Kofi Annan, honorary president of the Prix Pictet said that the photographs were a compelling call for action to tackle climate change, the most serious humanitarian and environmental challenge facing the world today:

"Only weeks separate us from the decisive negotiations on climate change in Copenhagen. We are confronted with the vital need to prepare the political momentum necessary for a fair and effective post-Kyoto agreement. The images in front of us remind us of the fragility of our planet and the damage we have already done. When we see these photographs we cannot close our eyes and remain indifferent. Through our actions and voices, we must keep building the pressure to secure urgent action at Copenhagen and beyond.”

“We all can see and we all can understand what the picture is telling us.  It doesn’t need a long essay and a long lecture.”

The prize is complemented by Earth, the book of the 2009 prize. Earth is published by teNeues and includes the work of the 12 shortlisted artists and others nominated for the 2009 prize. All speak of the harmful and often irreversible effects of exploiting the earth’s resources and reflect on the immediate and long-term impact of unsustainable development on communities across the globe.

See all the images here: www.prixpictet.com/2009

To order the book “Earth”: www.teneues.com

Images (from top):

1. Nadav Kander, Construction Mound, Chongqing, 2006

2. Nadav Kander, Chongqing IV (Sunday Picnic) , 2006

3. Edward Burtynsky, Iberia Quarries no.8, Cochicho Co., Pardais, Portugal, 2006

4. Ed Kashi, Nigeria, 2006

Written by Suze Chalmers