An aerial photo showing the stark contrast of cracked, dry earth and turquoise waters at Burdur Lake in Türkiye has won the Public Choice Award in the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) annual photo competition. The three thematic category prizes were awarded to photographers from Sweden and Spain.
The EEA announced the winners of its 2025 “Environment&Me” photo competition. Starting in March 2025, this contest encouraged photographers from Europe and neighboring countries to submit images that depict their personal connection to the environment and how they are affected by it daily.
The competition received nearly 1,800 entries from 36 countries, capturing diverse environmental stories and viewpoints. These entries were narrowed down to 42 finalists and four winners. This year’s competition saw significant participation from Spain and Italy, which together accounted for nearly a third of the submissions. Türkiye, Germany, and Portugal also contributed significantly, representing strong engagement from both southern and central Europe.
The contest featured three thematic categories, along with a youth prize and a public choice award. An external jury selected one winning photo from each category, while the public choice award was decided by a citizens’ vote.
The winners:
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BLUE – Water & Me: Swedish photographer Ola Karlsson’s “Bridge over troubled water” captures people crossing a bridge over thinning ice in Bjärred, highlighting the impacts of climate change on frozen landscapes.
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GREEN – Nature & Me: Pepe Badia Marrero from Spain won with “King of hearts,” depicting a grasshopper amidst heart-shaped leaves and golden light in Anella Verda de Terassa, reflecting nature’s delicate beauty.
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ORANGE – Everyday Life & Me: Kristýna Koubková’s “Work commitment” shows a donkey and its owners working in the harsh climate of Teguise, Spain, symbolizing resilience and cooperation in an inhospitable environment.
The Youth Prize was not awarded this year due to eligibility issues.
The Public Choice Award went to Fatih Yilmaz’s “Flapping its wings against drought,” an aerial photo highlighting the contrast of cracked earth and turquoise waters at Burdur Lake in Türkiye, symbolizing the region’s natural beauty amidst signs of drought.
Congratulations to the four winners and a big thank you to all participants for sharing their beautiful photographs.
For more information on the photo competition, visit the EEA website.
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