Living in the Transition

© Shunta Kimura - Image from the Living in the Transition photography project © Shunta Kimura - An elderly man who brings a lot of straw on his head. © Shunta Kimura - Image from the Living in the Transition photography project View all images ↓
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  • Dates
    2021 - Ongoing
  • Author
  • Location Bangladesh, Bangladesh

This is a photo story of the people in Bangladesh who peacefully living despite the fact they are at the mercy of the changes in their life environment caused by the impacts of climate change.

This is a photo story of the Bangladeshi people who live in the transition of life environment caused by various climate change impacts.

Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change, and many residents have been inflicted with severe and long-term burdens physically, mentally, or economically.

For example, many people often suffer tremendous damage by natural disasters such as intense floods and tropical cyclones in the rainy season due to geographical and topographical factors, and drought during the dry season due to precipitation deficit and uneven rainfall areas.

Other issues are the loss of land due to river erosion and landslides caused by rising water levels, destruction of roads and other subsistence infrastructure, health hazards caused by salt water carried by typhoons and floods entering soil and water resources, the decline of crops and seafood, changes in ecosystems, and forest fire caused by rising temperature.

Population density is increasing with the flex of environmental refugees into urban areas, and on the other hand, depopulation is progressing in the countryside.

However, what I saw during my visit to Bangladesh was not only the tragic moments and disastrous scenes of people who are at the mercy of climate change but also people living peacefully and quietly in such situations.

Through this photo story, I attempt to indicate one of the aspects of the climate crisis through photographs that captured a peaceful and slow-tempo image and everyday life in which there is anywhere instead of dramatic moments and disastrous scenes to visualize such people's resilience and adaptability to daily life that have gradually and slowly changed.

This photo story will be one of the catalysts for more understanding of what is happening in the corner of this world that is at the forefront of climate change, how these effects are changing people's lives, and how those people coexist with climate change.

© Shunta Kimura - Image from the Living in the Transition photography project
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A woman comes back from a public water place with a natural pond.Many women and girls engage in this work every morning as daily work even though it is hard to get fresh water in Gabura Union due to rising salinity levels in water resources.

© Shunta Kimura - An elderly man who brings a lot of straw on his head.
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An elderly man who brings a lot of straw on his head.

© Shunta Kimura - Image from the Living in the Transition photography project
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View of the inland of Gabura Union. Salinity intrusion into soil and water resources makes it nearly impossible to grow any plants in such a place.

© Shunta Kimura - Image from the Living in the Transition photography project
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Men are flattening the road to sandbag a bank.Many riverside roads in Gabura Union are often destroyed by cyclones, floods, or river erosion.

© Shunta Kimura - Image from the Living in the Transition photography project
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A fisherwoman is catching small fishes and shrimps near the sandbags that have gradually sunken in the river due to rising water levels. Such scenery is often seen on the riverside of Gabura Union.

© Shunta Kimura - A fisherwoman who goes to the river to catch fish and shrimp.
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A fisherwoman who goes to the river to catch fish and shrimp.

© Shunta Kimura - Image from the Living in the Transition photography project
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A sibling is spending a peaceful time in the house constructed on a vulnerable sill. This type of house is common near the river in Gabura Union.

© Shunta Kimura - Image from the Living in the Transition photography project
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Children are spending leisurely time near an abandoned house.There are some abandoned houses near the river in Gabura Union due to frequent cyclones and river erosion.

© Shunta Kimura - Image from the Living in the Transition photography project
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A boy is rowing a wooden boat on the Kholpetua River.This river is seemingly calm however, it causes problems such as reducing soil caused by water level rising, river erosion, and flooding.

© Shunta Kimura - Image from the Living in the Transition photography project
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A child herdsman tends some cows.These cows lose weight due to the decrease of grassland caused by the impacts of a massive flood.

© Shunta Kimura - Men who re-plant rice because of massive floods destroyed many rice fields.
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Men who re-plant rice because of massive floods destroyed many rice fields.

© Shunta Kimura - Children are catching small fish and shrimp.
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Children are catching small fish and shrimp.

© Shunta Kimura - Men are flattening the road that appears in the dry season.
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Men are flattening the road that appears in the dry season.

© Shunta Kimura - Women are waiting for a boat near the eroded river bank.
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Women are waiting for a boat near the eroded river bank.

© Shunta Kimura - A woman is doing household chores near the house on soil that has gradually decreased due to river erosion.
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A woman is doing household chores near the house on soil that has gradually decreased due to river erosion.

© Shunta Kimura - Image from the Living in the Transition photography project
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Two women who are walking on sandbags are pilled up. Such a road condition is often seen along the river in Gabura Union.In some places, people need to go to their destination on foot.

© Shunta Kimura - A woman is doing the washing with the water pond.
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A woman is doing the washing with the water pond.

© Shunta Kimura - A man is looking after his baby by the Kholpetua River.
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A man is looking after his baby by the Kholpetua River.

© Shunta Kimura - Image from the Living in the Transition photography project
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Fishermen engaged in fishing in the Kholpetua River.Such peaceful scenery has gradually been lost due to the impacts of climate change.