This competition seeks original, compelling photographs that capture the human, environmental, and infrastructural impacts of extreme heat—as well as the creative strategies communities are using to stay safe and resilient.

Categories

• Heat Impacts on Human Health
  • A construction worker wiping sweat from their brow, wearing sun-protective gear.
  • An elderly person sitting indoors beside a fan or cooling cloth, with indirect light showing heat outside.
  • A transit rider shading themselves under a tree or covering their head with clothing.
  • A community health worker distributing water bottles during a heatwave.
• Heat Impacts on Infrastructure & the Economy
  • Asphalt melting or buckling, with visual distortion from heat shimmer.
  • A closed sign on a shop window due to AC failure or reduced hours.
  • Overworked HVAC or cooling units dripping condensation on apartment buildings.
  • City workers applying tar on roads in full sun, with visible heat haze.
  • A traffic light or railway service disruption due to heatwave (use signage or screens to illustrate this).
• Heat Impacts on the Environment & Animals
  • A bird with wings spread for cooling in the shade or panting.
  • A dry, cracked patch of soil near a typically green area or stream bed.
  • Heat-stressed animals (dog lying on cool tile, cat seeking shade, etc.) — only in humane, non-distressful moments.
  • Trees with scorched or curled leaves due to extreme heat.
  • Wilting or sun-scorched crops in a farm or garden.
• Heat Resilience Strategies
  • A rooftop or community garden with shade cloth or reflective surfaces.
  • A public cooling center with people gathering inside.
  • Children playing in misting stations or under shade sails.
  • A volunteer refilling a public water station or handing out hats.

Recognition & Prizes

• While organization rules prohibit monetary prizes, we are offering educational, networking and publication opportunities to contest winners and finalists, who will have their work reach real decision-makers working to address the rising risks of heat to their health. The overall winner and winners for each category will receive:
• Winners will receive:
  • Photojournalism masterclass: Contest winners will be invited to a virtual Photojournalism Masterclass with Nicola Vigilanti, a Lyon-based documentary photographer with over 20 years of experience. Blending practical skills with a thoughtful, ethical perspective on capturing human stories, participants will dive into the craft and ethics of documentary photography, covering storytelling, aesthetics, technique, editing, and caption writing in the session. Nicola will introduce his intentional approach to visual storytelling: one that sharpens observation, strengthens narrative structure, and develops a critical eye for building a photographic series or portfolio.
  • Internews’ Earth Journalism Network feature: Finalists will have their images featured in a photo essay on heat risk and action around the world, to be produced by GHHIN in partnership with EJN.
  • Digital exhibit: Your photo and information will be included in a digital exhibit to be displayed at various UN climate and health conferences.
  • Certificate: A personalized certificate of recognition from the Global Heat Health Information Network
  • Online promotion: You will be credited for your work

Eligibility Criteria 

• Entrants must be 18 years or older at the time of submission.
• The contest is open to individuals and groups globally, except employees or direct contractors of GHHIN or the WMO Secretariat.

Submission Requirements

• All photographs must be original, unaltered (beyond basic editing), and submitted in JPEG or PNG format, with minimal compression.
• AI-generated images are not permitted.
• Image size must be at least 4000 x 3000 pixels.
• Submissions must include a title, date, and location, and be accompanied by an photographer’s caption describing what is happening in the photograph and/or providing some context.
• Multiple entries are allowed, but each person may only win in one category.
• Photographs that have previously won awards or been published in online or print publications (excluding personal social media) are not eligible.
• Photos used on personal platforms such as blogs, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Flickr are permitted.

Judging Criteria

• Submissions will be evaluated on:
  • Message clarity (25%)
  • Creativity & originality (25%)
  • Aesthetics & composition (25%)
  • Overall impact & potential to raise awareness (25%)

For more information, visit Global Heat Health Information Network.

https://ghhin.org/extreme-heat-photo-contest/