Inspiring change through his pictures of rivers

A SHORTAGE of clean, fresh water will be the next great global crisis, say experts who have been predicting it for a few years now. And helping to create awareness about a problem that is worldwide and not just limited to poor countries is photojournalist Franck Vogel, who has spent the last four years documenting the challenges facing the major rivers of the world.

"It all started during a meeting in 2011 with Green Cross director (former Russian president) Mikhail Gorbachev, who appointed me as an ambassador," explains Vogel, who studied biochemistry and has a master's degree in engineering (agronomy). His first project was a documentary on the Bishnoi community in India, possibly the world's first eco-warriors. Through Green Cross, "I learned about the Nile and the Millennium Dam project in Ethiopia. And I wanted to know how Egypt and the local people would be affected."

His motivation comes from the fact that "we humans are made mainly of water, and we need it to survive. Since we are not able to create water molecules, we have to preserve it. There is no other option." Many of the rivers in the world face daunting challenges and countries are fighting over water-rich territories. Most conflicts and water issues involve transboundary rivers.