About the exhibition

For thousands of years glaciers have been an important part of our planet, regulating the water cycle and local climate, while shaping our landscapes.

Most non-polar glaciers are located in mountains, the so-called “water towers of the world”, which supply nearly two thirds of all the freshwater used by humans. Their relevance for our societies, economies, cultures and ecosystems is unsurmountable and cannot be underestimated. However, by the end of this century, up to two-thirds of all glaciers worldwide may disappear.

The photo competition 'Walk of Water' highlights solutions and impacts around melting glaciers and water storage globally. Organized by UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) and Onewater, the contest spotlighted this critical issue, receiving over 7,000 entries from 104 countries. The theme, Water Towers, aligned with the International Year of Glacier Preservation 2025, encouraged creative depictions of glaciers, traditional water towers, and innovative water storage solutions. Some of these images, complemented with photographs from other sources, also illustrate scientific efforts to better manage glaciers and mountain environments which are at the core of the Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences 2025-2034, led by UNESCO. They also provide vivid illustration to the 2025 UN World Water Development Report devoted to Mountains and Glaciers.

The competition awarded €20,000 in prizes, supported by the Asian Development Bank, Onewater, MPB, and the City of Burghausen.

The diverse submissions featured breathtaking scenes of ice climbers in the Alps, indigenous festivals in the Andes, Africa’s glaciers, UNESCO World Heritage sites, and polar landscapes, underscoring humanity’s connection to water and the need to protect mountain regions, our planet’s natural water towers.

These photographs are part of a global travelling exhibition. We hope you find this exhibition interesting and we are looking forward to displaying it worldwide.