WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY?
Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth. These forms of life include microorganisms, fungi, plants, and animals, including the communities that they form and the habitats in which they live in.
According to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), biodiversity is “the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.”
Biodiversity provides us with air, water, food and materials for medicine, clothing, and shelter. Millions of people rely on biodiversity for livelihood and a host of ecosystem services. However, due to the continuous growth of population and overexploitation of biological resources, this “web of life” is now under serious threat.
PHOTOGRAPHY:
A POWERFUL COMMUNICATION TOOL
Communicating biodiversity conservation has always been challenging.
Humans are so diverse that you have to think of ways
to get the message across while transcending
differences in age, culture, language, race, values,
religion, and beliefs, among others. One effective tool
to communicate the values of biodiversity and to
promote appreciation to life forms is through
photography—a form of art where you can deliver any
message without even saying a word; a form of art that
can produce powerful images with messages that can
be understood by everyone regardless of their
differences.

Roger A. Tingle
First Place, 2020
PHOTOGRAPHY:
A POWERFUL COMMUNICATION TOOL
Communicating biodiversity conservation has always been challenging.
Humans are so diverse that you have to think of ways
to get the message across while transcending
differences in age, culture, language, race, values,
religion, and beliefs, among others. One effective tool
to communicate the values of biodiversity and to
promote appreciation to life forms is through
photography—a form of art where you can deliver any
message without even saying a word; a form of art that
can produce powerful images with messages that can
be understood by everyone regardless of their
differences.

Roger A. Tingle
First Place, 2020

WHAT IS ZOOMING IN ON BIODIVERSITY?
Zooming in on Biodiversity is a photo contest open to all nationals of the 10 ASEAN Member States, conceptualised by the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB).
This year, the Convention on Biological Diversity celebrated the International Day for Biological Diversity with the campaign Our solutions are in nature. With the focus on nature-based solutions, the theme also emphasises that people are part of nature and part of the solution towards biodiversity conservation.
OBJECTIVES:
Through this ASEAN-wide photo contest, the ACB aims to:
- promote appreciation for the ASEAN region’s biodiversity;
- encourage conservation of the Region’s wildlife species to prevent future pandemics;
- promote the ASEAN Heritage Parks
- raise awareness on humanity’s role in biodiversity conservation

OVER-ALL THEME:
#WeAreASEANBiodiversity: I am part of the solution
Photo submissions should highlight how humans are living in harmony with nature. Submissions may include, but are not limited to:
- individual to large-scale activities that promote biodiversity conservation efforts
- benefits of humans from nature
- returning or thriving wildlife
- symbiotic relationships among species;
- and restored or intact ecosystems

SPECIAL CATEGORY:
Life within and around ASEAN Heritage Parks
This special category will highlight the natural and cultural richness of ASEAN Heritage Parks. Photos should be taken in any of the 50 declared AHPs.
37. Tarutao National Park
SELECTION CRITERIA
Relevance to the theme – 40%
Composition – 20%
Creativity – 20%
Technical Excellence – 20%
MECHANICS
- The competition is open to all citizens of ASEAN—Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam. Employees and consultants of the ACB, and other organisations associated with the competition, including their relatives up to the first degree of affinity and consanguinity, are not eligible.
- Registration is FREE of charge.
- The contest is open to both amateur and professional photographers.
- A participant can send up to five (5) photographs ONLY, taken between 2018 to 2021.
- Entries must be submitted through the official contest website at https://zoomingin.aseanbiodiversity.org/.
- Deadline of submission of entries is 17 December 2021, 23:59 GMT+8.
Entries submitted after the deadline of submission will not be accepted. - Photographs must neither be previously submitted, in whole or in part, to other competitions, nor published in any printed or electronic media.
- Acceptable digital alterations include cropping, reasonable adjustments to exposure, contrast, and colour correction.
- File size of the photo entry must be at least 2 MB.
- Once submitted, the owners/photographers provide ACB the right to use the photos on educational and other promotional materials of ACB with appropriate credits to the owner.
PRIZES
Get the chance to win:
OVERALL CATEGORY
AHP CATEGORY
OVERALL CATEGORY
AHP CATEGORY
Deadline of submission of entries: 17 December 2021, 23:59 GMT+8

- The competition is open to all citizens of ASEAN—Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam. Employees and consultants of the ACB and other organisations associated with the competition, including their relatives up to the first degree of affinity and consanguinity, are not eligible.
- Record and upload a duet with one of the Voices of ASEAN Biodiversity Antoinette Taus on your Tiktok account.
- Follow and tag the ACB’s Official TikTok in your entries. You can upload as many entries as you want as long as you use the hashtag #WeAreASEANBiodiversity
Prizes
Creativity Award USD 300
People’s Choice Award USD 300
Deadline: 31 December 2021, 23:59 GMT+8

First Place, 2020
Roger A. Tingle

Second Place and People’s Choice, 2020
Karl Vincent L. Dimaculangan

Third Place, 2020
Yusuf Bin Madi

ASEAN Heritage Parks Category, 2020
Konyi Calisto

First Place, 2018
Daniel Ocampo

Second Place, 2018
Asep Ayat

Third Place, 2018
Kyaw Kyaw Winn

First Place, 2015
Hans Tangmanpoowadol

Second Place, 2015
Kyaw Kyaw Winn

Third Place, 2015
Ho Van Dien

First Place – Amateur Category, 2013
Jose Melencio M. Brillo

Second Place – Amateur Category, 2013
Aldrin Cuadra

Third Place – Amateur Category, 2013
Aditya Nugraha

Second Place – Professional Category, 2013
Nikki Sandino Victoriano

Third Place – Professional Category, 2013
Fahreza Ahmad

People’s Choice, 2013
Wilfredo Leonado

First Place – Student Category, 2009
Christine Marie Bangero

Second Place – Student Category, 2009
Lee Zcho Yee

Third Place – Student Category, 2009
Karlo Emmanuel Victoriano

First Place – Amateur Category, 2009
Helena Kalsom Binti Elias

Second Place – Amateur Category, 2009
Diadem Gonzales

Third Place – Amateur Category, 2009
Victor Visuna

First Place – Professional Category, 2009
Chalid Nasution

Second Place – Professional Category, 2009
Al Benavente

Third Place – Professional Category, 2009
Kyaw Kyaw Winn

People’s Choice Award
Maria Fe Felicilda – Philippines @mariamafe27 Help Earth to be a better place.

Creativity Award
Pavina Vongsouvanh – Lao PDR @pamouvina #duet with @antoinettetaus #weareaseanbiodiversity #WeAreASEANBiodiversity ! @asean_biodiversity.