The Deputy Minister of Environment and Water Atanas Kostadinov presented the first prize in the photo contest of the Bulgarian Water Association (BWA) “Stories about Water”. The award ceremony was opened by the Chairman of the BWA eng. Ivan Ivanov and took place today in Sofia, at the Rectorate of the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy.

The BWA photo contest is held annually with the support of the Ministry of Environment and Water and the Enterprise for Management of Environmental Protection Activities (EMEPA). The Minister of Environment and Water is the chairman of the jury in the contest. The artistic competition is part of the Water Week event with a discussion forum of the BWA and is held on the occasion of World Water Day on March 22.

“The entire development of human civilization can be traced through the way man has treated water. In how he perceives it, how he deifies it, how he takes it away, how he returns it back to nature. The entire history of humanity is, in a sense, the history of our relationship with water – because water is life itself.” With this message, Deputy Minister Atanas Kostadinov addressed those present at the award ceremony in this year’s edition of the competition.

The first prize-winning photograph is “The Glow of Water” by the author Alexander Valchev - an explorer, mountaineer and photographer, part of the expedition of the Bulgarian Antarctic base “St. Kliment Ohridski” on Livingston Island, from where he returned a few days ago.

“Photography captures those moments in which neither words, nor actions can express what is experienced. This is energy, a state, a sudden insight – something that only art can convey.” With these words, Deputy Minister Kostadinov congratulated the author of the awarded photo, which was taken in Iceland. "I try to make my photos evoke a desire in people to seek such sensations and visit such places," said Alexander Valchev in response.

The Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency Magdalena Georgieva presented the second prize to dr. Galya Turtova from Dimitrovgrad for her photo "Forest Stories with Kaya". Turtova is a general practitioner and amateur photographer. She manages to make friends with the squirrels in the park, who recognize her and look for her, as she gives them water on hot days.

The Rector of the University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, prof. dr. eng. Senya Terzieva-Zhelyazkova, awarded the photo for the third prize - "Eyes of the Water" by author Hristo Stefanov from Burgas, a professional photographer at BTA.

The public institution award went to Sara Kalpakchiyan for her photo "Water Tears". The award was presented by Vladimir Bibov, member of the Management Board of Bulgarian Water Supply and Sewarage Holding. The partner award went to the photo "Life by the Water" by Hristo Anestev.

The World Water Day, within the framework of which the "Water Stories" photo competition is held, has been celebrated annually by the United Nations since 1993 with a focus on the importance of water for life on the planet and the need to protect it. The campaign is coordinated by the UN Water Mechanism and draws attention to taking action to address the global water crisis. A main focus of the World Water Day is to help achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal 6: clean drinking water and sanitation for all by 2030.