©Supratim Bhattacharjee, August 18, 2020: In Frazerganj, a popular tourist destination in the Sundarbans at the mouth of the Bay of Bengal, villagers united to act as human shields, safeguarding a small tea shop from destructive storm surges. Many residents have built small shops, which also serve as their homes, to earn a living. However, in recent years, severe cyclones and storm surges have rapidly damaged and eroded this area. The Indian Sundarbans delta comprises 106 islands of which 56 are inhabited by approximately 4.6 million people. In the last 25 years, sea level in the Sundarbans has been rising at a rate which is two times more than the average global rate. This anthropogenically disturbed ecosystem, which harbours rich biodiversity is also important for the people living there as approximately 70% of the population engage in fishing, agriculture and utilization of forests.

Now in its third year, Vital Impacts has awarded seven environmental photography fellowships totaling $50,000 and eleven year-long mentorships to visionary photographers illuminating the profound and often fragile connection between people and the planet. As support for indepth environmental storytelling declines and the urgency of these stories continues to grow, Vital Impacts champions the artists whose images spark empathy, inspire action, and remind us of our collective responsibility to protect the Earth we call home.

Vital Impacts is thrilled to announce the 2026 recipients of $50,000 in Environmental Photography Fellowships, honoring the legacy of visionary leaders including Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Dr. Sylvia Earle, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Chico Mendes, Madonna Thunder Hawk, E.O. Wilson and Ian Lemaiyan. Fellows were selected for their locally rooted storytelling that highlights solutions and community resilience. In addition, 11 emerging photographers will participate in year-long intensive mentorships, developing their craft and vision.

This year’s judging panel included Alessia Glaviano, Head of Global PhotoVogue, Azu Nwagbogu, Founder and Director of African Artists’ Foundation and Lagos Photo Festival Evgenia Arbugaeva, National Geographic Storytelling Fellow and Academy Award Nominee, Kathy Moran, Deputy Director of Photography at National Geographic and Pat Kane, Vital Impacts Environmental Jane Goodall Fellowship Winner.

Supratim Bhattacharjee, (Kolkata, India) has recieved the Ian Lemaiyan Environmental Photography Fellowship for his project, The Cost of Coal. The fellowship honors the late Kenyan wildlife conservationist Ian Lemaiyan. Supratim Bhattacharjee’s work exposes the human and ecological toll of coal mining in India while tracing the country’s transition toward renewable energy.

©Supratim Bhattacharjee, August 18, 2020: Pallavi Padua, an 11-year-old, stands for a portrait in front of her family’s tea shop in Frazerganj, Sundarbans, which has been completely destroyed by storm surges following Cyclone Amphan. The tea shop, once located just a few meters from the home of the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal in the early 20th century, now faces the relentless crashing of sea waves. During Super Cyclone Yaas, the area, named after Sir Andrew Fraser, saw the complete destruction of the over-century-old Fort Fraser, a popular attraction for tourists visiting the beach destinations of Bakkhali and Frazerganj.

Supratim Bhattacharjee is an award-winning photographer known for his compelling visual narratives on climate change, environmental crises, and humanitarian challenges. His debut project, Sinking Sundarbans, highlights the devastating impacts of climate change on his homeland, the world’s largest mangrove ecosystem. This ongoing work, internationally acclaimed for its poignant storytelling, received the UNICEF Photo of the Year award in 2021.

Supratim’s work extends beyond the Sundarbans to global environmental issues. His project Black Diamond and Tears examines the consequences of fossil fuel extraction and was recognized as UNICEF Photo of the Year in 2020. It has been showcased at major forums, including the Climate Adaptation Summit and the Global Center on Adaptation. His long-term project War for Water, addressing India’s severe water crisis, earned an Honorable Mention in UNICEF Photo of the Year 2023.

Based in Kolkata, Supratim documents South Asia’s stark realities with a deep commitment to preserving human dignity. His work, featured in publications such as Time, The Guardian, and UN reports, aims to inspire policymakers to prioritize humanity’s future. A recipient of honors including the Royal Photographic Society Prize, his work has been exhibited at prestigious venues such as Visa Pour l’Image and the La Gacilly Photo Festival.

Instagram @supratimart

©Supratim Bhattacharjee, October 18, 2019: In Indrachawk, Jharia, villagers watch helplessly as a former pond, once a vital source of daily water is transformed into a sprawling overburden dump near a coal mine. Rocks excavated during coal extraction are piled high, forming a mountain-like structure. Burnt coal particles from ongoing underground fires are added to the heaps, drifting into the air and contaminating the surrounding environment. The impact of open-cast mining on Jharia is severe: emissions from coal fires release greenhouse gases such as CO₂, methane, and nitrogen oxides, intensifying global warming. Coal fuels nearly 80% of India’s domestic energy needs, with Jharia contributing a major share. The human toll is equally grave. Approximately 39% of local residents live below the poverty line, working as mine laborers for less than $2 per day. Shockingly, around 400,000 children aged 5–14 work in the mines, suffering from malnutrition and chronic respiratory and skin diseases. The environmental degradation and social costs reveal the hidden price of India’s coal dependency.

 The Cost of Coal

The forested regions of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Odisha are witnessing extensive deforestation driven by open-cast coal mining. These states, collectively hosting over 40% of India’s coal reserves, are losing vast tracts of forest cover. The destruction not only threatens biodiversity home to countless flora and fauna but also accelerates climate change, as forests in these regions act as vital carbon sinks. Between 2015 and 2023, an estimated 1.2 million hectares of forest in central and eastern India were cleared for mining and industrial activity, according to government reports. Tribal communities, long settled in these forests, are bearing the brunt of this expansion. Generations have relied on the land for agriculture, fishing, and the collection of non-timber forest products such as fruits, honey, and medicinal plants. Forced displacement caused by mining projects has left many without adequate compensation or rehabilitation, disrupting livelihoods and eroding cultural identity. Agricultural lands are lost, income sources vanish, and social challenges, including poverty, malnutrition, and lack of education, multiply.

©Supratim Bhattacharjee, November 13, 2018: The remains of a house stand amidst debris on Sagar Island. Sagar Island, the largest inhabited part of the Sundarbans with more than 200,000 people, faces a grave threat from rising sea levels and relentless coastal erosion. Over the last century, the island has shrunk by nearly ten percent, reducing from 256 square kilometres in 1922 to about 230 square kilometres today. In the past few decades alone, another 30 square kilometres have been lost, forcing families from nearby disappearing islands to seek shelter here. Tidal surges and repeated embankment breaches have worsened the crisis. In 2014, one such breach destroyed over 4,000 houses, submerged around 500 hectares of farmland with saltwater, and disrupted life for nearly 25,000 residents. The advancing sea is now only 450 metres away from the revered Kapil Muni Temple, putting the famous Gangasagar Mela at risk. With fields turning saline and homes washing away, farming is failing, and migration has become the only option for many.

Jharia in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad district exemplifies this crisis. Once a lush forest teeming with tribal life, it is now dominated by open-cast coal mines. The displaced tribes often resort to illegal mining for survival. Coal extraction emits carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides, contributing to global warming and respiratory illnesses such as pneumoconiosis, tuberculosis, and asthma. Nearly 39.1% of Jharia’s population lives below the poverty line, with laborers, including minors, earning less than 2 USD daily. Children under 14, constituting 14% of residents, face malnutrition, pollution-related illnesses, and disrupted education. Over the past two decades, relentless mining has doubled the severity of environmental degradation and human suffering in the region.

The coal mining crisis demands sustainable practices, fair compensation for displaced communities, and access to healthcare, education, and forest protection to reduce environmental and human harm.

©Supratim Bhattacharjee, August 1, 2019: After Cyclone Fani, women from Mousuni Island in the Sundarbans are compelled to gather drinking water from a flooded tube well. The cyclone damaged over 63,000 hectares of farmland, submerged 528 villages, and impacted 1.6 million people in the Sundarbans. It also cut off access to clean water sources. With seawater contaminating 85% of freshwater sources, the villagers have been left desperate for accessing something as basic a necessity as drinking water.

©Supratim Bhattacharjee, October 28, 2017: Local villagers are collecting coal from the mines in Jharia. In Jharia, Jharkhand, local villagers risk their lives in abandoned and active coal mines, collecting coal to sell for meagre earnings. Many are pushed into these dangerous activities by contractors and coal mafias, working without safety gear or proper wages. For countless families living below the poverty line—nearly 39% of residents earn less than $2 a day illegal coal collection has become a survival strategy. The environmental impact of these mining operations is severe. Open-cast and underground fires release massive amounts of greenhouse gases, including CO₂, methane, and nitrogen oxides, accelerating climate change. Dust and pollutants contaminate the air and water, while biodiversity in the region suffers. Shockingly, around 400,000 children aged 5–14 work in these mines, exposed to hazardous conditions that cause malnutrition, skin infections, and respiratory illnesses. Despite supplying a major portion of India’s coal fuelling 80% of domestic energy needs Jharia’s mines reflect a troubling trade-off: energy production comes at the cost of human health, safety, and ecological balance.

©Supratim Bhattacharjee, October 05, 2021: Beauty Devi (34) sits in her village in the evening after burning coal. Many abandoned mines with leftover coal were left unsealed and unsafe.

©Supratim Bhattacharjee, February 12, 2018: Villagers stand near an underground coal fire in a village in Jharia. In Jharia, Jharkhand, underground coal fires continue to ravage villages, sending flames and toxic smoke through the once-thriving coal belt. Homes have been destroyed, forcing families to flee as heat and smoke seep from the ground beneath their feet. The relentless fires, some burning for decades, have claimed lives and left survivors battling injuries, respiratory illnesses, and the trauma of losing neighbours and loved ones. Villagers speak of nights spent watching orange flames lick the surface, their safety threatened at every step. The underground fires also emit massive amounts of greenhouse gases, including CO?, methane, and nitrogen oxides, contributing to global warming while polluting the local air and soil. Despite being a major source of India’s coal fuelling a significant portion of the country’s energy needs—the human and environmental toll is devastating. In Jharia, the danger is constant: survival, health, and community life hang in the balance as the underground fires rage on.

©Supratim Bhattacharjee, March 25, 2022: A tribal man from the Parsa Besan coal mine region sets out on a hunt. In Chhattisgarh’s Parsa-Besan coal belt, the expansion of the Parsa East-Kete Basan (PEKB) mine is forcing hundreds of tribal families from their ancestral villages. Official records suggest more than 700 residents from Hariharpur, Fatehpur, and Slahi face displacement, while nearly 840 hectares of dense forest are marked for clearance. For Adivasi communities, the forest is more than a resource it is a source of food, medicine, and cultural identity. Many allege their legally recognized forest rights were revoked without proper consultation, leaving them with little compensation and no real choice. As fears of losing both home and heritage mount, resistance has grown fierce. Villagers armed with traditional bows and arrows have staged marches, blocked mining routes, and vowed to escalate protests if their demands are ignored. The PEKB project, already granted Stage-II forest clearance, now stands as a flashpoint between India’s coal-driven energy ambitions and the survival of its indigenous peoples.

©Supratim Bhattacharjee, October 29, 2018: Nasir (16) works as a coal scavenger in Jharia, Jharkhand, regularly collecting coal illegally from trucks and abandoned shafts. Like him, thousands of children and adults risk their lives daily in hazardous conditions, driven by poverty and lack of alternatives. Nearly 39% of locals live below the poverty line, earning less than $2 per day as mine laborers. Shockingly, around 400,000 children aged 5–14 are engaged in mining, suffering from malnutrition and chronic respiratory and skin diseases. The environmental consequences of coal extraction are equally dire. Open-cast mining and underground fires release vast quantities of greenhouse gases, including CO₂, methane, and nitrogen oxides, intensifying global warming. Coal from Jharia supplies a major portion of India’s energy needs—roughly 80% of domestic consumption—but at immense ecological and social cost. Communities like Nasir’s pay the price with their health, safety, and disrupted childhoods, underscoring the human and environmental toll of India’s coal dependence.

About the Fellowships

Vital Impacts is dedicated to supporting visual storytellers who capture compelling, solutions-focused environmental stories at the local level. We are grateful to be able to offer one $20,000 fellowship and six $5,000 fellowships to help bring these vital stories to life. Fellows have twelve months to develop their projects, with support from Vital Impacts to publish and showcase their work.

“Our aim is to support and nurture the next generation of environmental storytellers through grants and mentoring programs,” said founder Ami Vitale “We aspire to create opportunities for these emerging voices to explore complex environmental issues with originality and nuance at this critical moment.” 

The 2026 Mentorship Recipients

In addition to the grants, ten emerging photographers from diverse regions will participate in an intensive mentorship program designed to enhance their storytelling skills and artistic vision.

Over the span of twelve months, these individuals will have the opportunity to engage in one-on-one sessions with industry experts, renowned photographers, and influential photo editors. Through these sessions, participants will refine their storytelling skills, receive guidance on navigating the industry, and establish vital connections.

About Vital Impacts

Over the past fifty years, Earth’s wildlife populations have declined by nearly three-quarters, a profound shift that challenges us to rethink how we care for the natural world. Yet even in the face of these losses, there is extraordinary reason for hope. Around the planet, communities, scientists, and storytellers are working together to reimagine solutions, restore ecosystems, and protect the places we all depend on.

Vital Impacts is a women-led 501c3 non-profit founded in 2021 by Ami Vitale and Eileen Mignoni to advance conservation through visual storytelling, community partnership, and strategic investment in local solutions. We harness the power of art, visual journalism, and community partnerships to support conservation and illuminate pathways toward a more resilient future. Central to our work is investing in storytellers. More than 1,000 journalists across 87 countries have received mentorship through our programs, gaining the tools and support to report on environmental issues with depth, sensitivity, and solutions-driven focus. Their stories bring global visibility to local challenges and to the people working creatively to solve them.

This storytelling network is paired with deep community engagement. Through partnerships, Vital Impacts has raised $3.5 million for local conservation initiatives. These resources help safeguard critical ecosystems, support community-led conservation, and ensure that those working closest to the land have the support they need to succeed.

We are also cultivating the next generation of environmental stewards. Our in-person student programs have reached 30,000 young people, inviting them to see themselves as active participants in shaping a healthier, more compassionate world. By connecting students with powerful stories and the people behind them, we spark curiosity, agency, and a lifelong commitment to caring for the planet.

At the heart of Vital Impacts is the belief that stories transform understanding and that understanding drives action. By elevating local voices, bridging science and narrative, and directing resources where they create lasting change, we are building a global community of people who recognize that restoring the planet is not only possible but already underway.

Instagram: @vital.impacts

Executive Director: Ami Vitale

Ami Vitale is a National Geographic Explorer at Large, award-winning photographer, writer, documentary filmmaker, and the founder of Vital Impacts. Her work explores the vital connections between people, wildlife, and the planet. With nearly three decades of experience working in over 100 countries, Ami uses storytelling as a tool for conservation, empathy, and action.

Her career began in conflict zones, where she witnessed firsthand how environmental degradation—including resource scarcity, displacement, and climate instability—profoundly affects human lives. These early experiences shaped her conviction that environmental and social issues are inseparable, guiding her toward long-term, solutions-focused work that highlights resilience, collaboration, and possibility.

Her work has been recognized with numerous honors, including Conservation International’s Lui-Walton Innovators Fellowship, the Lucie Humanitarian Award, the Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service, the Daniel Pearl Award for Outstanding Reporting, and six World Press Photo awards. She is an honorary fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and an inductee into the North Carolina Media and Journalism Hall of Fame.

Through both her nonprofit leadership and her own creative work, she remains deeply committed to empowering emerging voices and advancing a more hopeful, solutions-driven future for our planet.

Instagram: @amivitale