Arko Datto's 'Final Wave (Chapter II)' Documents Climate Crisis in Bengal Delta

Photographer Arko Datto's project 'Final Wave (Chapter II)' visualizes the climate emergency in the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna Delta, the world's largest delta spanning Bangladesh and West Bengal, India. Rising sea levels, intensified cyclones like Aila, Hudhud, and Sidr, and increased salinity have submerged Sunderban islands, threatening mangroves, crops, and freshwater fish. Inhabitants, among the smallest carbon footprints globally, face displacement as environmental refugees. Datto explores nocturnal landscapes and the concept of catastrophisation, drawing on philosopher Adi Ophir's theory, to frame climate change as an invisible, omnipresent adversary. The work draws parallels between the war on terror and the climate battle. Datto, formerly a mathematical physics doctoral candidate, uses photography, film, and installation. His work has appeared in TIME, National Geographic, The Atlantic, and The New Yorker, with grants from Prince Claus Fund, Pulitzer Center, and IDFA Bertha Fund. Exhibitions include Fotografia Europea, Light Work, SFO Museum, Fotomuseum Den Haag, and Hamburger Bahnhof. He has published three photobooks: 'Pik-nik' (2018), 'Mannequin' (2018), and 'Snakefire' (2021), and curated for Galleri Image, Kochi Biennale, Obscura Photography Festival, and Chennai Photo Biennale.