Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed attends Conservation Summit at Xposure

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The third edition of the Xposure International Photography Festival’s Conservation Summit opened on Thursday in the presence of Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council (SMC), with three hard-hitting talks and presentations by leading voices.

The summit, a cornerstone event of Xposure, has once again underscored the urgent global imperative for conservation on its prestigious global platform, spotlighting the irreplaceable role of protected areas in biodiversity preservation, climate change mitigation and ecosystem sustenance.

Highlighting the urgency of the conservation mission, a powerful opening video was showcased with a compelling message: “There is no Plan B because we don’t have a Planet B. You can choose to look the other way, but you can’t say you didn’t know.”

CONSERVATION HAS TO BE A COLLECTIVE ACTION: During her speech, Alya Al Suwaidi, Director of Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB), outlined an ambitious vision – the creation of a global roadmap towards a sustainable future. “Through this summit, we invite each one of you to turn every silent picture and idea into a decision we make, an initiative, to paint a bright environmental picture for a green and sustainable future,” she said, capturing the summit’s goals and also setting the tone for public stewardship.

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She emphasised the need for innovative solutions to environmental conservation, and advocated for a forward-thinking strategy in the fight against degradation, saying: “As we flip through the images and delve into their depths, we realise that alone is not enough to champion our environmental conservation. We need to transcend traditional solutions and embrace an approach that combines innovation and sustainability.”

HUMAN COST AND ERADICATION DUE TO ENVIRONMENTAL INVADERS: This year’s summit is particularly poignant, highlighting the plight of traditional indigenous peoples of Brazil whose lands and lives are being destroyed by deforestation and gold mining.

Junior Hekurari, a leader of the Yanomami indigenous people from Brazil, and the guest of honour of the summit, made a plea for the rights and preservation of indigenous lands and cultures. His speech shed light on the grave injustices faced by the Yanomami people of Brazil, underlining the urgent need for action against environmental degradation and exploitation.

Hekurari began his address with a harrowing reminder of the historical and ongoing struggles of indigenous communities. “Our lands were invaded by settlers who decimated our people hundreds of years ago, and now miners and drug traffickers are doing the same,” he disclosed, speaking about the devastating impact of current illegal mining activities in the Amazon delta his people live in, describing the extraction of “blood gold” that contributes to the suffering of his community. “This gold, found in your jewellery, computers and phones... has cost the lives of hundreds of our children due to water contamination and pollution,” Hekurari pointed out.

“More than 500 children of our tribe died in 2022, and more than 360 in 2023,” he revealed.

“The room you’re standing in has a lot of power. It’s time to rethink the value we place on this metal. You have the power to start change and rethink its cost to millions of lives,” he urged, challenging those present to leverage their influence for positive change. Hekurari asked the global community to stand in solidarity with the Yanomami and other indigenous peoples of the Amazon.

Preserving nature can only happen if we engage with it: Kathy Moran, National Geographic’s deputy director of photography, reflected on her privileged encounters in national parks, highlighting the critical need for engagement with nature.

Moran pointed out a startling statistic: “98% of visitors [to parks like Yellowstone] never get more than a half-mile away from their cars.” This observation raises questions about our reluctance to take a deeper interest in and engage with the natural world beyond a surface level.

Turning to climate change and species protection, Moran praised the foresight of bipartisan acts aimed at preserving both species and their habitats. “There is no point in saving the species if they have nowhere to live,” she stressed.