ALMATY 鈥 Kasteyev Museum of Arts hosted the exhibition dubbed 鈥淲alk of Water: Stories of Ice, Rivers, and Drought 鈥 from June 5 to 25. Featuring the works of 22 photographers, the display documented the beauty and vulnerability of freshwater systems amid global climate change.
Organized by the UNESCO Regional Office in Almaty with OneWater and the UNESCO World Water Assessment Program (WWAP), the exhibition marked two major milestones 鈥 the UN-designated International Year of Glaciers鈥 Preservation and the 50th anniversary of UNESCO鈥檚 Intergovernmental Hydrological Program.
鈥淭he exhibition aimed to raise awareness about the vital role of glaciers, snow, and ice in our planet鈥檚 climate system and the far-reaching consequences of their rapid loss,鈥 said museum director Gulaiym Zhumabekova.
The display showed the selected photo stories from the fourth edition of the international Walk of Water contest, held last year with support from the Asian Development Bank and MPB.
The winning entry came from Slovenian photographer Ciril Jazbec, whose photo story documented artificial ice stupas in Ladakh, Himalayas 鈥 an innovation developed to address the loss of natural glaciers. Other stories captured mountain ice retreats, river droughts and vanishing water sources, often from the perspective of communities directly affected.
In light of increasing climate-related water challenges, exhibition curators underscored its significance as part of UNESCO鈥檚 broader mission to promote sustainable science, environmental awareness and the protection of shared natural and cultural heritage.