CHANGE organized the exhibition “Climate change effects on the Mekong Delta” with its intern Quach Vinh Tuong on 29/08/2016 at BLANC Café, Vietnam, marking the intern’s first environmental photography project.
The exhibition included 17 selected photographs taken in two coastal provinces, Ca Mau and Ben Tre, which showed severe climate change effects on the local ecosystems and people. With his hometown also in the Mekong Delta, the high school student born in 1998 understood well the struggles the locals faced daily due to climate change, especially due to land loss and ocean intrusion.
“Viet Nam is suffering under climate change yet this issue is not discussed with a deserved attention. It is heartbreaking to witness areas slowly disappearing from the map. The people themselves have to be the main force in mitigating climate change” – Quach Vinh Tuong shares. “I think communication campaigns are essential, and hope this small exhibition contributes to such communication efforts.”
Guests observing the photographs and discussing with Quach Vinh Tuong
Tuong’s exhibition was a part of the efforts by creative and passionate Vietnamese youths in mitigating climate change and protecting affected communities. The exhibition fundraised more than 90 million VND (4,000 USD). Tuong hoped that through effective communication efforts, local authorities along with affected communities would have more solutions in minimizing climate change effects.
Currently finishing a high school diploma in the U.S., Tuong discovered his passion for photography in the country, employing black and white manual cameras. He hopes to pursue environmental fields in university and continues to use photography as a tool to convey climate change issues in Vietnam.
Beside climate change activities, Quach Vinh Tuong is also active in other social activities: being an active member of a club supporting autistic kids and the co-founder of the Light House Vietnam Foundation which provides education and entertainment to blind kids in Ho Chi Minh city.