When Portland-based photographer Greta Rybus arrived in Northern Senegal and saw that climate change was not only an issue but a very visible one, she knew that she wanted to document its effects in the area.
The project looks specifically at the impacts of climate change and how it is already impacting the lives of people who rely directly on natural resources for their livelihood. Crafted from interviews and photographs of fisherman, herders, farmers and scientists in Senegal, Greta shows us both the beauty and struggle of those whose lives are spent connecting to the environment.
This series of images showcases the disastrous effects that result from policies that do not take in to account the planet’s well-being. Fisherman who once dragged their boats for an hour across sand to reach the sea are now greeted by it at their front door. Inland, herders and farmers who relied upon the rains to sustain their crops and cattle can hardly grow enough food for their families. They are now forced to supplement their work with odd jobs in the city to stay afloat. And while the project is about the unfolding struggle with climate change it is also a celebration of the resilient spirit of the local community.
"So much of the climate conversation is centered on extremely important information that can feel hard to connect to, like datasets, or it is inaccessible, like an Arctic ecosystem. So, I hope to gather more information that demonstrates how climate change is a part of our everyday lives. I’m operating off the mindset that working people have essential information to provide about the environment and how it is changing." — Greta Rybus
