Martyna Nitkowska "THE WATER REPORT"
The Gniezno Lake District has the lowest total rainfall in Poland — the region is characterized by steppe formation and the disappearance of lakes. A place once full of resorts is now vanishing before our eyes. Local farmers are struggling year after year with increasingly water-deprived soil. The water level in deep wells is steadily decreasing.
The photos are part of the publication of the graduated students of the Mentorship Program 2019/2020 entitled "No.09" (May 2020).
Recruitment information for the next edition of the Mentoring Program on the website.
The Gniezno Lake District has the lowest level of rainfall in Poland; steppefication and the disappearance of lakes are typical in this region. A place once teeming with resorts is disappearing before our very eyes. Year after year, local farmers struggle with the problem of drying soil. The water level in deep wells is falling.
The Konin PAK Lignite Mine, integrated directly with the Pątnów-Adamów-Konin Power Plant, the Pątnów Power Plant and the Adamów Power Plant, has been blamed for the current situation. The mine is set to close by 2025.
Environmentalists and activists are fighting for a just and fair transformation of coal-mining regions. Not only for the rejection of technologies that are detrimental to the climate and humanity, but also to protect employees so that they can find alternative employment.
During this project, I did not wish to be a mere passive observer, so I took part in a demonstration in Kleczew. I also supported the protesters with my own, hand-made flags and masks.
I worked on the WATER REPORT for a year. I photographed environmental activists, local politicians, inhabitants of the Gniezno Lake District, children and a miner. I collected their stories, which became a record of how water disappears.
