Kochi, Nov 20 (PTI) The 13th edition of Greenstorm Global Photo Festival, in association with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) began on Saturday in virtual format, with a total of 3,519 photographers from 42 countries set to take part in it.

Also Read | #WATCH | Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot Arrives at Governor House in Jaipur, to Meet Governor … – Latest Tweet by ANI.

Also Read | Andhra Pradesh Shocker: Woman Attempts Suicide Along With Her Two Minor Daughters In Krishna District, 7-Year-Old Girl Dies.

The participants will contest for this year's Greenstorm Global Photography Award, organisers said.

Visitors to the website (www.greenstorm.green) can vote online for their favourite image, and the winners will be chosen based on the number of popular votes garnered and the jury marks.

"The theme for this year's Festival is 'Restore Green Lineage' based on the UNEP theme for 2021 World Environment Day - Ecosystem Restoration.

Photographers were asked to visually capture nature restoration projects or nature restoration stories in their localities,"Greenstorm Foundation said in a release.

The festival will also feature 25 photographs curated by an eminent jury comprising Jury chair Prathap Suthan from New Delhi, Mumbai-based wildlife photographer, Aishwarya Sridhar and landscape architect Michael Little from Bangalore.

Photographers from the USA, UK, Russia, Iran, Philippines, Ireland, Morocco, Bangladesh among other countries are participating in the competition.

"The growing number of entries from across the world have been both gratifying and inspiring. I see that as an increasing awareness of our planet's problems, and an amplified responsibility to strengthen, heal, and help restore the earth. These photographs have been nothing less than a beautiful tribute to the contributions of unknown people from unknown places, all working to make life easier for Nature," Suthan said.

The festival will be open for public voting till December 15 and the winners will be awarded cash prizes worth Rs one lakh.

"Our primary wish is to spread awareness on environmental conservation around the world," Dileep Narayanan, managing trustee of the Greenstorm Foundation, said.

Greenstorm Foundation is a not-for-profit public trust formed to impact appropriate behavioural changes among people through the power of creativity.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)