‘The Chronicle of Us’ is part of an ongoing documentary project on human migration in the context of the climate crisis. Focusing on South Asia and the Asia-Pacific region, Shunta Kimura brings attention to the lives of people displaced by floods, rising seas and environmental breakdown.

Across South Asia and the Asia-Pacific region, climate change is intensifying typhoons, flooding and sea level rise, forcing growing numbers of people to leave their homes. Many move towards cities in search of work, education or support from relatives and communities who have already migrated.

This movement places additional pressure on urban areas, accelerating housing shortages, informal settlement growth, weak infrastructure and environmental degradation. In Bangladesh, where large areas of land are at risk of submersion, many climate migrants have already moved to Dhaka and now live in precarious conditions under footbridges, along roadsides or in informal settlements.

‘The Chronicle of Us’ looks beyond statistics to focus on the people living through this upheaval. By foregrounding the faces and daily realities of climate migrants, Kimura’s work insists that this is not a distant crisis affecting someone else. It is a growing human reality that will continue to reshape societies across the world.

Artist Bio

Shunta Kimura is a documentary photographer based in Japan. His practice seeks to offer new perspectives on contemporary environmental and social issues while exploring possible ways forward.

His work has received international recognition, including honours from the Sony World Photography Awards. In 2024, he received Artistic Recognition from Harry Gruyaert at Trieste Photo Days. His ongoing project ‘The Chronicle of Us’ has been featured in Newsweek Japan and contributes to wider discussions around vulnerability and resilience in the face of climate change.