Forbes is a town in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. In 2021, the Lachlan River rose slowly but eventually inundated the town, isolating the region. In 2022, another flood forced 1000 residents to find higher ground. The Lachlan River overflowed rapidly in the worst flood  in 70 years. 
2023 Photo Contest, Southeast Asia and Oceania, Open Format

Australian Floods in Infrared

Photographer

Chad Ajamian

21 November, 2021

Forbes is a town in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. In 2021, the Lachlan River rose slowly but eventually inundated the town, isolating the region. In 2022, another flood forced 1000 residents to find higher ground. The Lachlan River overflowed rapidly in the worst flood  in 70 years. 

Global climate change means not only a rise in average temperature, but also an increase in the rate of extreme weather events. In the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley and other regions of New South Wales, Australia, this has likely exacerbated extreme flooding. In March 2021, flooding in the area led to the evacuation of 18,000 people and necessitated over 1,000 flood rescues by emergency services. These extreme weather events are only increasing in frequency and intensity, damaging property and disrupting infrastructure and supply lines for food and medicine in one of the most populous regions of Australia. 

This series offers a unique perspective on the recent floods that have devastated New South Wales. Aerial infrared imaging renders vegetation in pinks and reds, contrasting sharply against blues and cyans, which represent water. These images make newly flooded areas easily discernible to post-disaster emergency responders, assisting with response and recovery. Beyond their utility to scientists, hydrologists and emergency responders, these images offer a visually striking perspective on the real time environmental and social impacts of the global climate crisis.

This project contains adaptations from raw data in NSW Flood Imagery Viewer by DCS Spatial Services, State of New South Wales, licenced under CC BY 4. Photographer Chad Ajamian works in emergency services in the area and has a deep connection to the affected communities. He has long been interested in infrared imaging technology and its ability to reveal the invisible.

Chad Ajamian
About the photographer

Chad Ajamian is a geographic information scientist, photographer, and researcher, specializing in natural perils and infrared photography.  Across different mediums such as cartography, data visualization and photography, Chad has a deep passion for sharing and communicating science and data through visual mean...

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Jury comment

This project appropriates infrared imaging, a technology popularized for its military uses, and uses it to tackle a very different, very important event relating to the climate crisis. The work is visually interesting and ripe with beautiful colors that kept the jury's attention. Each frame enticed them to seek more information. The work presented important insights in a clever way and gave space for one to consider the global intensification of flooding and its complex impacts.