Caravan through fading oases: M’hammed Kilito’s journey at Xposure 2025

Photo : Sharjah Govt Media Bureau

M’hammed Kilito is a photographer from Morocco. For the past six years, he has been taking pictures of the oases in North Africa and the Middle East. These places are very special because they bring life to the desert, but they are slowly disappearing due to climate change. His photos, which show both the beauty and struggles of these oases, are now displayed at the International Photography Festival (Xposure) 2025 in Sharjah.

Stay informed with the latest news. Follow DXB News Network on WhatsApp Channel  

At the festival, Kilito talked about his latest project called Kafila, which means "Caravan" in Arabic. He has traveled through Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Tunisia, capturing how these places are changing. He plans to visit Mauritania next. His work not only shows how the land is drying up but also how people are trying hard to survive.

One of his most powerful photos is of a man named Mohammed from Aït Mansour, Morocco. This village once had 100 families, but almost everyone left because there was no water. Now, only four families remain. Kilito said, “Mohammed is like a refugee in his own country because of climate change.” Since the government does not help much, villagers collect small amounts of money—sometimes only €15 or €20 each—to build water towers. These towers store water for the driest times of the year, showing both their cleverness and their struggle.

Another danger for oases is fire. In 2020, a huge fire burned half of the Jemna oasis. The land has become so dry that even a small spark can cause a disaster.

While most oases do not have enough water, the Siwa oasis in Egypt has too much. The soil there does not soak up water well, so farmers dig canals to move extra water into a lake. But now, the lake is rising too high and flooding farms. “Every year, people build walls to stop the water, but the water keeps rising,” Kilito explained. “This cannot continue forever.”

In Tunisia, Kilito visited a place where farmers use both old and new ways to grow crops. The Gabès oasis is special because it is right next to the sea, creating a beautiful mix of green plants and blue water. However, pollution is a big problem. A factory there dumps 3,000 liters of chemicals into the sea every day, making the air and water dirty.

With help from the National Geographic Society’s Climate Pledge, Kilito is now working in Mauritania. He wants to find and share the best ways to protect oases. His work is more than just photography. He also works with the Mishkat Institute to bring pieces of these oases into museums. He has collected plants and made special blue-and-white prints called cyanotypes, which show the shapes of the plants. These prints look like memories of a world that is slowly disappearing.

For Kilito, this project is personal. His photos are not just pictures—they are a message. He wants people to see what is happening and take action before these oases are gone forever.

#trending #latest #Xposure2025 #MhammedKilito #KafilaProject #VanishingOases #ClimateChange #DesertLife #EnvironmentalPhotography #PhotographyForChange #SaveOurOases #Sustainability #WaterCrisis #OasisConservation #BeforeItsGone #EcoAwareness #VisualStorytelling #headlines #topstories #globalUpdate #dxbnewsnetwork #dxbnews #dxbdnn #dxbnewsnetworkdnn #bestnewschanneldubai #bestnewschannelUAE #bestnewschannelabudhabi #bestnewschannelajman #bestnewschannelofdubai #popularnewschanneldubai

DGHR approves flexible & remote work policy for Dubai govt employees in Ramadan 2025...Read More.

a little girl named Donna Mae Josephine Carillo...Read More.