Art Lights the Way

In 2024 there are still 15 countries in the world where 80% of the population has no access to electricity. Located in Southeast Asia, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar is a vast country with a diverse population and a rich cultural heritage. However, just 26% of the country have access to electricity, most of whom live in cities; of 68,000 villages, just 3,000 have access to any power source.

Photographer Ruben Salgado Escudero ‘sheds light’ on this issue through his photography project Solar Portraits. Ruben shares this statement along with his images “Solar power is a viable source of energy which can rapidly improve lives overnight. This ongoing project began in 2013 depicting people across the world who have benefited from micro solar technology. Lit only by solar bulbs, the images express the profound social impact of access to clean energy. To date, Solar Portraits represents 28 locations in nine countries on five continents.”

This award-winning photograph was shortlisted in the Soulutions Category of the COP28 Photography Competition, a collaboration between The Climate Tribe and the Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Rashid al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA). The Climate Tribe has partnered with HIPA to leverage the power of photography to inspire global awareness of sustainability and advance climate action.