The Lungs of the Earth
The oceans are crucial to regulating climate and act as “the lungs of the Earth”, with algae and cyanobacteria in seawater providing up to 80 percent of the atmospheric oxygen which we rely on to breathe. The oceans also house over 230,000 marine species, with estimates that there are between one and 10 million species still undiscovered. Alongside their own intrinsic value, many of these marine species provide important goods and services. Collectively, ocean-related services and business are estimated to contribute over USD500 billion to the world’s economy.
Vanishing Roots
One of the largest ethnic groups in Cambodia, the Kuy community lives in harmony with the forest. For them, life follows the organic rhythm of Nature, rooted in the essence of community life. “We call this place our home. This is where we feel protected,” they explain. A community strongly tied to their animist beliefs, the Kuy people says that the Neaktah – or ancestral spirits – have blessed their presence in the forest. The Neaktah watch over people and places, as long as they are paid respect through prayers and offerings.
The Makings of an Icon
A showcase of portraits from Asia by master photographer Steve McCurry
Lands from the Mongol Empire
A compilation of visual stories that connect the land, culture and people of Eurasia that were linked by the former Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan
Faces of Asia
Specialising in travel and portraits, as well as fashion photography, Manuel Libres Librodo Jr's popularity among photographers and photography fans is showcased by more than 27 million hits on his website.
The Mongolian Gold Wars
Gold mining has sparked a clash between illegal diggers, artisanal mining associations and large multinationals
Spiritual Skin
For centuries, indigenous tattooists working across Asia have marked human skin with powerful designs and symbols in their quest to signal ethnic identity and render the body sacred. Carried through life and onwards into death, these marks of humanity testify to an ancestral legacy that is in danger of gradually fading away.