WMO Opens Global Photography Competition for the 2027 Calendar
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has officially opened submissions for its 2027 Calendar Photo Competition, inviting photographers from around the world to capture the powerful relationship between weather, climate, water, and everyday life. The annual contest encourages both professional and amateur photographers to showcase compelling images that highlight how natural forces shape communities, livelihoods, and ecosystems.
Entries are open until 16 August, giving participants an opportunity to contribute photographs that not only display artistic excellence but also raise awareness about the growing importance of weather, climate resilience, and water resources in a changing world.
A Global Stage for Climate Storytelling
The WMO calendar has become more than a collection of visually striking photographs. Each selected image tells a story about the interaction between people and nature, illustrating how weather events and water systems influence agriculture, cities, biodiversity, transportation, and daily life.
From dramatic thunderstorms and peaceful snow-covered landscapes to drought-affected farmland and life-giving rivers, the competition seeks images that reflect both the beauty and challenges of Earth’s natural environment.
Highlighting the Human Connection
This year’s theme encourages photographers to demonstrate how weather, climate, and water affect their local communities. Rather than focusing solely on spectacular scenery, WMO is looking for photographs that reveal the human dimension of environmental change.
Images may capture farmers adapting to changing rainfall patterns, coastal communities facing rising seas, rescue teams responding to floods, renewable energy projects powered by wind and sunlight, or traditional practices that depend on seasonal weather cycles.
Such photographs help communicate scientific realities through visual storytelling that can be understood by audiences across cultures and languages.
Raising Awareness Through Photography
Photography has become one of the most effective tools for communicating environmental issues. A single image can inspire public discussion, encourage climate action, and strengthen awareness about disaster preparedness, conservation, and sustainable resource management.
By featuring winning photographs in its international calendar, WMO provides global visibility to photographers while promoting greater understanding of meteorology, hydrology, and climate science.
Open to Diverse Perspectives
The competition welcomes entries from photographers with different backgrounds and experience levels. Whether documenting extreme weather events, peaceful natural landscapes, community resilience, or innovative adaptation measures, participants are encouraged to present authentic stories from their regions.
This diversity allows the calendar to reflect the wide range of climates, cultures, and environmental conditions found across the world.
Supporting Climate Education
Beyond artistic recognition, the annual calendar serves as an educational resource used by meteorological agencies, research institutions, governments, and environmental organizations. Each photograph helps illustrate the importance of weather forecasting, climate monitoring, disaster risk reduction, and sustainable water management.
As climate-related challenges become increasingly complex, visual communication plays an essential role in helping people understand environmental risks and the need for collective action.
Inspiring Future Generations
The WMO Photo Competition also encourages young photographers and environmental enthusiasts to observe the natural world more closely. By documenting local weather patterns, seasonal changes, and community responses, participants contribute to a broader global conversation about protecting people and the planet.
Creative storytelling through photography can inspire future scientists, conservationists, meteorologists, and climate advocates while preserving unique moments in Earth’s changing environment.
Looking Ahead
As submissions begin for the 2027 WMO Calendar, photographers have a unique opportunity to share powerful images that celebrate nature while highlighting the importance of weather, climate, and water in shaping human lives. Through creativity and visual storytelling, participants can help increase global awareness of environmental challenges and showcase the resilience of communities adapting to an evolving climate.
