Schools : "Every Breath Has a Story" ! A Global Photo Call for Clean Air !

 

@UNEP

Air pollution is often invisible, but its impacts are deeply personal. 

In 2023, exposure to air pollution worldwide resulted in an estimated 7.9 million deaths, and millions of healthy years of life lost. 

It affects how we breathe, how we live, how we feel, our ability to earn a living, and how we imagine the future.

Every Breath Has a Story is a global call for powerful photographs and personal reflections that reveal the human reality of air pollution: its sources, its consequences, and the hope found in action and cleaner air solutions.

Africa Clean Air Forum 2026

https://event.fourwaves.com/

We are especially proud to launch the first chapter of this campaign at the Africa Clean Air Forum 2026, in Pretoria, spotlighting stories and images from across Africa. 

https://www.stateofglobalair.org/news-events/2026/

👉Selection works

Selected works will also be featured globally for the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies on 7 September 2026, together with the State of Global Air.

Whether you are a professional photographer, student, activist, journalist, or someone who captured a meaningful moment on your phone, we want to see the world through your eyes.

• What to look for : 

Submissions will be welcome that capture one or more of the following:

• Air Pollution Sources: Traffic, smoke, waste burning, cooking fuels, generators, industry, dust, agriculture, open burning, or other unique sources.

• Human Experience: How polluted air affects daily life, movement, work, family life, schools, and wellbeing.

• Health Impacts: Children, elders, vulnerable communities, hospitals, respiratory challenges (e.g., use of inhalers).

• Environment & Landscapes: Haze, reduced visibility, urban congestion, damaged ecosystems.

• Solutions & Hope: Clean transport, renewable energy, cleaner cooking, greener streets, community action, policy progress.

• Emotion & Resilience: Strength, frustration, grief, determination, joy, hope.

💚Requirements :

• File format: JPG or PNG
• Minimum size: 800 x 800 pixels
• High-resolution preferred
• Maximum 5 images per person
• Original work only
• Basic edits permitted

🌈What's in it for you

• Selected entries will be featured in a clean air campaign during the Clean Air Day (September 7).
• Selected entries will also be featured in global reports on air quality published by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) and State of Global Air (SoGA).
• Selected entries from Africa will be featured in a photo exhibition in Pretoria, South Africa in July 2026.
• All selected contributors will receive full credit.

✅Submissions : Friday, June 26, 2026.

Submit your photos here

❓For any queries, please email: contactsoga@healtheffects.org

• Education:

If you are a teacher in Africa or have African students among your students, it will be a wonderful activity to promote into your curricula.

Interesting activity to students who love Photography or study Arts & Photography, don't you think?

Students love participate in contests. They get excited to show off their skills no matter the contest. But a contest about Photography?  

You can ask for help from a colleague who loves photography or is on the Photography Club at school.

Participating in this photo contest uploading a photo that young people can shot in a big city, a small town, a village, whatever.

The contest could be an interesting activity to those students who are enjoying summer holidays or to those students who preparing their exams. During a breack and going, a good relaxing activity.

💛Note : Photos from Africa will be spotlight. However all photos about Pollution will be welcome.

G-Souto

14.06.2026

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Schools : "Every Breath Has a Story ! A Global Photo Call for Clean Air ! by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Source: UNEP UN environment programme