Natalya Saprunova's photo series on the Canadian Arctic won the New Scientist Editors Award at the Earth Photo 2026 competition [1].

The recognition highlights the accelerating physical transformation of the far north, where climate-driven changes threaten the stability of indigenous lands. By documenting these shifts, the work brings global attention to the specific vulnerabilities of the Arctic coastline.

Saprunova focused her lens on the Inuvialuit territories in Canada [1]. The series explores the dual pressures of coastal erosion and permafrost thaw, documenting how the landscape is physically altering as temperatures rise [1]. These processes often lead to the loss of land, and the destabilization of local infrastructure.

The Earth Photo competition aims to showcase the intersection of art and science to communicate the urgency of environmental change. Saprunova's work was selected for its ability to evoke the scale of the crisis occurring in the remote regions of the north [1].

Coastal erosion in the Arctic is often exacerbated by the loss of sea ice, which leaves shores more exposed to storm surges. Simultaneously, the thawing of permafrost — ground that remains frozen for two or more years — causes the land to slump and collapse [1]. These combined forces create a volatile environment for the people living within the Inuvialuit territories.

By capturing these changes through a visual medium, the series provides a record of the environmental degradation that is often invisible to those outside the region [1]. The award acknowledges the role of photography in bridging the gap between scientific data and public perception of the climate crisis.

“Natalya Saprunova's photo series exploring coastal erosion and permafrost thaw across Inuvialuit territories in Canada has won the New Scientist Editors Award.”

The recognition of Saprunova's work underscores a growing trend in climate communication where visual evidence is used to validate scientific models of permafrost degradation. As the Arctic warms faster than the global average, documenting the tangible loss of land in Inuvialuit territories provides critical evidence of the immediate socio-economic impacts on indigenous communities.