Visualising climate-linked migration

As climate change reshapes patterns of migration and displacement, photography will play an important role in contributing to an accurate understanding of a complex topic. Compelling visual storytelling can effectively engage audiences with detail, nuance, context and empathy, yet visualising climate-linked migration presents a significant challenge.

We know images can have a huge influence, however all too often they are dehumanising and problematic for a variety of reasons, including consent issues and depictions of distress and victimisation. In addition images are often limited to familiar visual cliches, oversimplifying a complex issue and risking perpetuating harmful visual stereotypes.

The guidance is designed to be a practical resource for anyone looking to use photography to tell stories of climate-linked migration – from commissioning new visual reporting, to working with existing archival imagery, and across the media, NGO, campaigning, educational sectors and beyond.

Divided into 10 key principles it contains prompts and considerations for working with photography that tells climate-linked migration stories engagingly, accurately and ethically.

These principles encourage an approach to the visual storytelling of climate-linked migration that centres the people at the heart of the stories being told, whilst protecting the dignity and rights of people on the move and highlighting the nuanced variety of experiences of climate-linked movement.

The resource is informed by insights and perspectives on the photography of climate-linked migration from a wide variety of sources. We conducted online desk research looking at emerging themes in existing photography, and consulted experts across the photojournalism, climate and migration sectors, tapping into our network and coalition of close expert partners. These insights were then combined with our existing evidence base and industry expertise and distilled into practical guidelines.

We would like to thank Unbound Philanthropy and the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust (JRCT) for supporting the development of this resource.