Elisabetta Zavoli is an Italian environmental documentary photographer.
She holds an MSc in Environmental Sciences. Since 2009, her love for the natural world has led her to pursue a career in environmental journalism, reporting on issues related to the effects of climate change on coastal communities, the role of markets in the Global North in driving deforestation in emerging economies, and the problems of mercury pollution and waste management. From 2012 until 2018, she was based in Jakarta, Indonesia, where she worked extensively on issues related to oceans and marine coastal environments.
Zavoli believes in the power of solution journalism to inspire a global audience through local stories. Her empathy, respect, and openness to understanding others' points of view have helped her connect with and portray diverse communities. In her work, Zavoli translates her deep understanding of the complexity of ecosystems into rich, layered visual narratives.
With over 15 years' experience working as a photographer and visual storyteller, Zavoli has produced and accomplished significant projects that have been widely disseminated, increasing awareness and understanding of complex topics and having a positive impact on local communities.
She has received several journalistic grants, including from the European Journalism Centre (EJC) in 2016, the Earth Journalism Network (EJN) in 2021 and 2022, and the National Geographic Society's Emergency Journalist Fund in 2021. Since 2022, she has been a National Geographic Explorer. She has also won several international photography awards, including the 68th Maggie Awards and the 78th and 83rd POYi Awards.
