The Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), an independent non-profit organization headquartered in New York in the United States of America, which works to improve countries’ governance over their natural resources, has launched a global photo competition to celebrate its 20th anniversary, inviting people from around the world to share real-life stories of resource governance through photography.
The competition, titled “Through Our Eyes: Resource Governance in Practice,” is open to photographers, journalists, researchers, civil society groups, community members, practitioners and anyone involved in or observing resource governance.
According to NRGI, the initiative aims to show how resource governance affects people’s daily lives beyond what is written in policies and reports. The organization is looking for photographs that capture the challenges, progress, and human stories behind the management of natural resources.
Participants are encouraged to submit images showing community experiences with mining, oil and gas projects, the environmental and social impacts of resource extraction, moments of accountability and public participation, as well as the people and places affected by natural resource decisions.
NRGI said selected photographs will be featured in a permanent online anniversary gallery and may also be displayed at a flagship event later in 2026. Selected photographers will receive full credit whenever their images are used on NRGI’s website, publications, and social media platforms.
Entries must be submitted in JPEG or PNG format with a caption that includes the location, a brief description of the image, its importance, as well as the photographer’s name. Participants must own the photographs or have permission to share them.
NRGI said the initiative is designed to highlight authentic stories from communities and individuals, using photography to promote a better understanding of how resource governance is experienced in different parts of the world.
The applications close on July 31, 2026.
For more information, visit https://resourcegovernance.org/through-our-eyes-photo-competition
