Description
We are a team of Visual storytellers, Researchers and Scientists. Our project investigates the relation between water, conflict, and socio-ecological justice along the Blue Nile River, shared by Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia. Moving beyond state-centred debates on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, the focus shifts to how water, energy, and land are distributed and contested within each country. Through collaboration between photojournalists, researchers, and communities, we combine participatory visual storytelling with spatial analysis and remote sensing.
The stories highlight women farmers’ resilience in Upper Egypt, the challenge of maintaining water infrastructures like dams and irrigation systems amid war in Sudan, and the hydropower-driven digital transformation in Ethiopia.
“Over the past three years, as a documentary photographer and artist in residence in an academic institution like IHE Delft, I’ve been slowly immersing myself in the world of scientists through the projects I work on, most of which revolve around water. What began as simple interactions gradually evolved into collaborations. At first, it was difficult to bridge our different languages and approaches, but when done right, this exchange benefits both sides.
Facing water challenges, we truly need each other: we rely on scientific research and data, while scientists can draw value from the narratives and visual storytelling that journalists create. Together, we offer richer, more engaging knowledge to the public.
I believe that the diversity of our team, our shared passion for water and storytelling, and our faith in the union of science and journalism can become a catalyst for changing perceptions and bringing people together.” — Roger Anis, Documentary Photographer & Visual Researcher
Project Team
Media outlet
The Contrapuntal
The Hague, Netherlands
https://thecontrapuntal.com/
Roger Anis
Documentary photographer & visual researcher
Netherlands
Research organisation
Institute for Water Education, IHE
Delft, Netherlands
https://www.un-ihe.org/
Emanuele Fantini
Associate professor of water politics and communication
Netherlands
