River Gambia


  • Photographer
    Jason Florio
  • Prize
    Honorable Mention
  • Date of Photograph
    Dec 2012 - Jan 2014
  • Technical Info
    35mm digital

River Gambia is one of Africa’s last free-flowing major rivers, but plans are afoot to build a mega-dam to bring much needed electricity to aid development in the three countries it passes through, Guinea, Senegal and The Republic of The Gambia. But conversely, the negative affects could be devastating to the hundreds of traditional communities and the fragile eco-system that flanks its 1044km course that rely on its natural seasonal rise and fall. The images are a document made during the first source-to-sea expedition along the river of lives and communities that could be irrevocably destroyed with the dam’s construction.

Story


The River Gambia, is one of Africa’s last free-flowing major rivers, but plans are afoot to build a mega-dam to bring much needed electricity to aid development in the three countries it passes through – Guinea, Senegal and The Republic of The Gambia. But conversely, the negative affects could be devastating to the hundreds of traditional communities and to the fragile eco-system that flanks its 1044km course. The communities rely on the rivers natural, seasonal rise and fall – for irrigation, watering their cattle, fishing and transport, as too do the hippos and crocodiles for their breeding and feeding grounds. The images were made during the first recorded source-to-sea expedition from the rivers humble source in the highlands of Guinea, through Senegal to the rivers 14km wide mouth where it reaches the Atlantic Ocean at Banjul, the capital of The Republic of The Gambia - to create a modern day account and bring attention to the tribes and communities whose very existence has been based on the rivers natural conditions for millennia.

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