23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
Waiting for Water in Salted Lands

On april 25, 2025, In Gabura of coastal Bangladesh, women sit patiently for hours, waiting their turn to collect drinkable water—often after walking miles on foot. Since cyclones Sidr and Aila destroyed embankments, seawater has infiltrated the land, turning it saline and barren. What remains is a daily struggle for survival in a climate-altered reality where even a pot of clean water is a distant hope.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 04.2025
Date Uploaded: 10.2025
Photo Location: satkhira, khulna, Bangladesh
Camera: NIKON Z 5
Copyright: © Md Bipul