BR-319: Highway to the Tipping Point by Evgeny Makarov is shortlisted for the Royal Geographical Society’s Earth Photo 2020 competition in the category A Climate of Change
Earth
5 August 2020
Photographer
Evgeny Makarov
THIS local keeps an eye out for river dolphins in the Amazon river in Brazil as an oil spill from a nearby boat adds a chromatic sheen to the water.
Advertisement
Table of Contents
The photo is called BR-319: Highway to the Tipping Point and was taken by Evgeny Makarov. It is shortlisted for the Royal Geographical Society’s Earth Photo 2020 competition in the category A Climate of Change.
To get the shot, Makarov made a 10-day journey down the BR-319 highway, which was conceived to connect the rest of Brazil to the city of Manaus at the heart of the Amazon rainforest.
The 870-kilometre-long road was built in the 1960s and 70s to open up the area’s economic potential. However, poor construction and long rainy seasons meant the route was soon abandoned and it has been impassable to vehicles for more than 30 years.
Thanks to good conditions, Makarov was able to make it past the potholes and rainforest debris to capture the livelihoods of those living along the BR-319. His journey coincided with an announcement by Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro last year to repave the road, which would trigger further deforestation of the Amazon rainforest.
The winners of the competition will be announced later this year, with shortlisted photos being exhibited at the Royal Geographical Society in London from 7 December.
More on these topics: