PARTICIPATION FORMS
Objective
Groundwater plays a fundamental yet often invisible role in climate resilience and adaptation,
water security, and ecosystem sustainability. Through this photo contest, the International
Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH) aims to bring groundwater to the surface, visually and
conceptually, by showcasing its interactions with climate change and its importance for society
and the environment.
The objectives of the contest are to:
- • Raise awareness of the critical role groundwater plays in climate change adaptation and
resilience, highlighting its importance for water security, ecosystems, and communities.
• Make the invisible visible by visually communicating groundwater processes, impacts, and
interactions with climate change that are often hidden beneath the surface.
• Promote scientific understanding of groundwater–climate interactions, including droughts,
floods, sea-level rise, and extreme events, through accessible and engaging visual
storytelling.
• Actively engage young hydrogeologists, students and early career professionals in a
creative and educational initiative.
Target Participants
The contest is open to:
- • Early career professionals, under the age of 35
• Students in hydrogeology, geology, environmental sciences, and related disciplines
• All other photography enthusiasts with an interest in environmental, geoscience, water
and related topics
Contest Themes
Participants are invited to submit photographs that interpret one or more of the following themes:
- Groundwater and Drought
Visual stories of water scarcity, drought impacts, and the resilience provided by
groundwater resources. - Groundwater–Climate Interactions
Images illustrating the links between groundwater and climate (change) driven processes
such as floods, extreme rainfall, sea-level rise, and coastal aquifer salinization. - Innovative Solutions and Sustainable Management
Photographs highlighting sustainable groundwater management practices, including
artificial recharge, aquifer protection, monitoring, and nature-based solutions. - The Hidden Value of Water in a Climate Change Context
Creative and symbolic representations that reveal the often unseen importance of
groundwater for people, ecosystems, and future generations in a climate change setting.
Submission Rules and How to Participate
Participation in the “Groundwater and Climate Change” IAH Photo Contest is free of charge, and
open to both members and non-members of IAH.
Each participant may submit up to three (3) original photographs, which must be the author’s
own work. Photographs may be submitted in color or black and white. Submissions must be in
digital format only (JPEG), with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi.
Each image must be accompanied by a title and a short caption (maximum 150 characters, spaces
excluded) explaining the message of the photograph, its relevance to groundwater and climate
change, and indicating the geographical location where the photo was taken (City/town and
country). This is done by filling in the Photographic Material Description Form.
To enter the contest, participants are also required to complete the Participation Form, signed in
a clear and legible manner. Both forms can be found and filled in together in the attached
document.
The photographs and two completed forms must be compressed (zipped) into one file named with
your given and family name and the date: Surname_Givenname_Date.zip (or .rar), and uploaded
to https://surfdrive.surf.nl/s/MsbRm6ett5DF3fM. Please also send an email, without annexes, to
iah.cgcc@gmail.com to confirm your submission. The submission deadline is 15 June 2026.
Submissions containing offensive or discriminatory content will not be accepted.
Awards and Prizes
Photographs will be evaluated by a team of hydrogeologists and hobby photographers based on
their relevance to the contest theme, originality, and overall quality. The following awards will be
presented:
- Best Groundwater and Climate Change Photo
Awarded to the image that most effectively represents the impacts of climate change on
groundwater. - Early Career Special Mention
This special mention is reserved for photographs submitted by early career professionals
(under the age of 35) or students recognizes the image that best combines innovation,
scientific relevance, and educational impact in communicating groundwater and climate
change issues.
Timeline
- Photo Submission Period: Open from 1st March 2026 to 15 June 2026.
- Awarding Ceremony: Presentation of awards during the IAH 2026 Budapest Congress – 14–
18 September 2026 (https://iah2026budapest.com/), accompanied by a photo exhibition
featuring winning and selected submissions.
Permissions and Communications
By submitting their photographs, participants explicitly grant permission for their images to be
reproduced, published, and communicated to the public for outreach, communication, and
educational purposes by IAH, including through print media, social media, and web channels.
PARTICIPATION FORMS
