Organizers:

- Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan

- United Nations Development Programme in Uzbekistan

- Islamic Development Bank

The contest is conducting in 2 (two) nominations:

1. "Eye of Nature: Best Photography"
2. "Voice of Nature: The Best Environmental Article".

The winners in each nomination will be awarded laptops, photo-cameras and smartphones

Objectives of the contest:

• To draw attention to the negative consequences of the environmental disaster in the Aral Sea region and to increase public awareness of current environmental problems.

• To inspire journalists, photographers and bloggers to create meaningful stories that highlight the importance of environmental issues and stimulate action to address them.

• Ensure the dissemination of information about the consequences of the environmental disaster in the Aral Sea through various media platforms, including articles, photographs and blogs.

• To provide a platform for journalists, photographers and bloggers to demonstrate their skills and professional growth in the field of environmental journalism.

• To promote the active participation of the local and international community in the discussion and solution of environmental problems of the Aral Sea region.

• Increasing awareness of the importance of agriculture, sustainable use of natural resources and the introduction of innovations in this area.

Target audience (participants): journalists, photographers and bloggers living in the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Eligibility Requirements:

• availability of an identity card;

• works covering the territory of the Aral Sea region in the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Requirements for competitive works:

General requirements:

• All works must be original and created specifically for this competition, or have been published no earlier than January 1, 2024, in local or foreign sources of information by the authors. Plagiarism or the use of other people's materials is prohibited.

• The works should correspond to the theme "negative impact of the environmental disaster in the Aral Sea region".

Photo Requirements:

• Quality: Photos must be of high resolution (at least 300 dpi).

• Format: Photos must be in JPEG or PNG format.

• Description: Each photo should be accompanied by a brief description (up to 100 words) explaining the context and meaning of the image.

• File size: A single file must not exceed 10 MB in size.

• Number: no more than 5 photos are accepted from one participant.

Requirements for Articles:

• Length: Articles should be between 1000 and 3000 words.

• Structure: The article should include a title, introduction, body and conclusion.

• Format: Texts should be submitted in DOC, DOCX or PDF format.

• References and Sources: When using data or citations from other sources, be sure to provide references and sources.

• Number: no more than 3 articles are accepted from one participant.

Additional requirements:

• The works must not contain material that may be regarded as offensive, discriminatory or violating the rights of third parties.

• All works must be submitted within the specified deadlines; late submissions will not be considered.

• The cover letter must include the participant's full name, contact phone number, and email.

Example of work:

• For photos: An example of a successful photo can include an image showing destroyed ecosystems or the lives of people affected by an environmental disaster.

• For articles: An example of a successful article may include an analytical consideration of the causes and consequences of an environmental disaster in the Aral Sea region, as well as proposals for mitigating its impact.

Works in Uzbek, Russian, English and Karakalpak languages are accepted for the competition.

Contest materials should not contain advertising information, as well as information, the distribution of which is prohibited or restricted on the territory of Uzbekistan. Contest materials containing this information will not be considered.

Applications are accepted until 18:00 (Tashkent time) on September 15, 2024 at this link: https://forms.gle/RHYH12HxXw3iaRAbA. 

IMPORTANT: To upload your work in the Google form, you need to have a Google account (e-mail to gmail.com).

For more information, DM us here: https://t.me/IsDBproject.

This contest is organized by joint project of the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan and UNDP Component B "Sustainable Rural Development": Engineering Services and Capacity Building in the Field of Infrastructure Management, financed by the Islamic Development Bank and the OPEC Fund for International Development.