Stories of climate change from across the Hindu Kush Himalaya

Winners of the story competition.

This competition encourages youth (15-25 years), including high school and undergraduate students from the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region, to share compelling personal stories of their lives, and how they have witnessed the impacts of climate change and subsequent challenges in the region.

You may submit your entries in any of the following formats:

• Written entries of no more than 500 words in any of the languages spoken in the HKH region,
• Video of up to five minutes in length in any language spoken in the HKH region, or
• Photographs accompanied by a description of 100-200 words.

Please include contextual material like photos (for written work), name, location, time, and date to help your audiences locate and understand your story. Up to three narratives may be submitted in the formats described above.

The top two entries will win USD 500 and USD 250 each. Additionally, the next five top-ranked stories will receive honourable mentions and certificates. The stories will be featured on our website.

The results will be announced during the next CryoDiscussion in Autumn 2022. The two winners will be invited to share their stories during the webinar.

Eligibility and mode of submission

High school and undergraduate students from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan, can submit their stories.

For our participants’ from China, send your entries to:

Miriam.Jackson@icimod.org

Chimi.Seldon@icimod.org

Terms and conditions

• Entries must be about the incidences in and from the HKH region of any of the following countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan.
• Entries should be the original work of the entrant.
• Entries that violate or infringe upon other’s rights, including but not limited to copyrights, are not eligible.
• By participating in the essay competition, the entrant grants ICIMOD and its media partners a non-exclusive right to display, distribute, reproduce, and create derivative works of the texts, in whole or in part, in any media currently existing or subsequently developed, for any educational, promotional, publicity, exhibition, archival, scholarly, or all other standard purposes of ICIMOD. Due credit will be given to the entrant each time their story is used, wherever feasible. ICIMOD will provide a digital or print copy to the entrant (upon request) of any publication that includes their work.
• We strongly recommend that the entrant informs and obtains consent from any third party who are included in their stories, including subjects in photos.
• Entrants may be requested to send us the original image files if their stories include images.
• Participants must be in high school or enrolled in an undergraduate course; or between the ages of 15 – 25.

Exclusions

• Entries that were submitted to ICIMOD-organized contests in the past; that have been awarded or received honourable mention in other contests, either online or in print; and stories that have already been used in print or online publications are not eligible. However, you may submit stories you have used in personal or social spaces such as blogs and social media.
• Entries that are works of fiction with no real time reference to location and community in the region will not be accepted.
• Entries that are culturally insensitive or portray subjects, especially women, children, and the marginalized communities in a bad light will not be accepted.
• ICIMOD staff are not eligible to participate in the contest.

ICIMOD reserves the right to disqualify any submission whose entry or conduct tampers with the spirit of the contest in any way; violates the above terms and conditions, and exclusionary provisions; or infringes the rights of third parties. Decisions of ICIMOD are final.

Judging criteria

Entries will be judged by a technical panel consisting of scientific experts in the field of cryosphere, climate change and experienced editors. Entries will be judged on:

• Authenticity, clarity, composition, and impact
• Overall effectiveness in conveying a compelling story on climate change, cryosphere, and natural disasters. Hence, the choice of the subject and how you choose to describe it in the entry submission form is very important.
• Novelty, flair for the unexpected, and the ability to convey a compelling “wow” factor.

For further information, please contact: