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Call for Photos Submissions: Documenting Water Bodies, Scarcity & Stress in the Middle East
Blue Peace Middle East (Blue Peace ME) is the first regionally owned initiative that brings together senior water experts, policymakers, academics, and media professionals from across the Middle East to strengthen cooperation over water that transcends borders, sectors, and generations. The initiative is dedicated to enhancing the region’s water, food, and energy security while preserving vital ecosystems in the face of a changing climate.
Governed by a Regional Mechanism with active members from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Türkiye—and with a geographical reach that includes Iran and Syria—Blue Peace ME promotes dialogue, builds capacities, and implements concrete actions to transform water from a potential source of conflict into a catalyst for regional cooperation.
To ensure that its mission reaches wider audiences and contributes to shaping public understanding of water diplomacy and the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem (WEFE) Nexus, Blue Peace ME recognizes the critical role of media engagement. As part of our communications and advocacy efforts, we are commissioning a series of impactful photo stories to document the visible effects of water scarcity and climate stress on key transboundary water bodies in the region.
To review and purchase already captured, high-quality contextually rich, and ethically framed photographs of dried or drying sections of transboundary rivers, lakes, and wetlands across the Middle East, specifically from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Türkiye, Iran and Syria highlighting the human, ecological, and cultural dimensions of water depletion.
The contributor(s) will be responsible for:
Sharing already available images that meet the thematic focus (dried or significantly receded transboundary water bodies).
Providing a selection of:
Wide landscape shots showing the scale of depletion.
Human-centered images (with consent) reflecting community interaction with these environments.
Details such as cracked earth, abandoned boats/infrastructure, or vegetation loss.
Submitting a minimum of 5 selected, edited, high-quality images per site (where available).
Providing captions, date and location for each image.
A brief description of available photos with location and context.
A financial proposal (rate per approved image).
Confirmation that original high-resolution files can be provided upon selection.
Ensuring all content respects local sensitivities, avoids politicization, and aligns with Blue Peace ME's neutrality principles.
A digital folder with:
At least 15 edited photographs (or as many as available per contributor).
Raw images (if requested).
Captions and context notes including location and date (English) in a provided template.
Signed consent forms for any identifiable individuals featured in the photos.
Photographers must adhere to ethical storytelling standards:
Prioritize dignity, accuracy, and informed consent.
Avoid sensationalism or misrepresentation.
Respect local customs, and refrain from photographing politically sensitive symbols, boundaries, or affiliations.
All photographs and accompanying content will be the property of Blue Peace ME once purchased. The photographer will be credited where appropriate, but images may be used without prior approval across all Blue Peace ME platforms, reports, exhibitions, and outreach materials.
Contributors should initially submit watermarked copies or lower-resolution versions of their images for review and selection.
Please Note:
Submission of photos does not guarantee purchase. Blue Peace ME reserves the right to reject any or all images that do not meet the expected quality, ethical standards, or thematic relevance.
Payment will only be made for images that are approved and selected for use.
Email submissions to: info@bluepeaceme.org
Deadline: Open till September 15, 2025
Copy right 2024 all rights reserved