Muntaka Chasant

Muntaka Chasant
Born1985 (age 40–41)
Ghana
Occupations
Known forWaste geographies, urban marginality, electronic waste ecosystem in Agbogbloshie
AwardsCarmignac Photojournalism Award (13th Edition)
Websitemuntaka.com

Muntaka Chasant (born 1985) is a Ghanaian photojournalist, documentary photographer, and independent researcher.[1] He is known for his long-term documentation of waste geographies, urban marginality, environmental pollution, and climate-induced migration in Ghana, particularly within the electronic waste ecosystem of Agbogbloshie.[2][3][4]

Early life and education

Born in Ghana, Chasant attended Kumasi High School. Prior to his documentary work, he undertook high-altitude mountaineering expeditions. He has a postgraduate background in international relations.[5][1]

Environmental documentary and research

Chasant’s work examines the intersection of human geography, urban ecology, and public health. His photography documents marginalized workers, climate-induced migration, and the impacts of global waste economies on local communities, with particular focus on the Agbogbloshie settlement in Accra.[1][2][4]

His photographs have been published by media outlets including BBC News[3], CBS News[6], The Guardian[7], Le Parisien[8], France Info[9], and Information[10]. In 2021, one of his photographs was featured in the BBC World Service series Project 17; his coverage of child labor at Agbogbloshie led to the identification and location of a missing teenager.[3]

Chasant’s photographic documentation of child labor in Ghana’s informal e-waste recycling sector and fishing industry has appeared in multiple editions of the U.S. Department of Labor’s “Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor” and the "List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor" reports.[11][12][13] In addition, his visual work exploring the impacts of climate change and human activities on landscapes and livelihoods across Ghana was featured in the May 2023 issue of Kehitys-Utveckling, published by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.[14]

In July 2022, Chasant's documentary photography on the environmental impact of discarded second-hand clothing in Ghana was covered in British media, including The Independent[15] and The Daily Telegraph[16].

Outside of photojournalism, Chasant contributes to scientific research. His documentary photographs and field data have been published as visual documentation in academic journals. In 2022, he co-authored a study investigating toxic heavy metals in artisanal aluminum cookware produced through informal recycling.[17] He also collaborated on research in Science regarding policy measures to reduce non-functional consumer waste exports to Africa.[18] His research includes topics such as snakebite envenoming[19], tropical forest protection[20], and the conservation of peatland and coastal mangroves in Ghana[21].

Awards and recognition

  • In 2022, Chasant was named a laureate of the 13th Carmignac Photojournalism Award, alongside investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas and photographer Bénédicte Kurzen. The award funded a collaborative investigation into the transboundary movement of electronic waste between Europe and Ghana.[1][22][23] Their collective work was incorporated into the 2024 Global E-Waste Monitor, the fourth edition of a periodic United Nations report that tracks global electronic waste generation, recycling rates, and policy progress. The report was released by UNITAR and the ITU.[24][25]
  • 2022: Finalist, Environmental Photographer of the Year[26][27]
  • 2021-2022: Finalist, Portfolio (Story telling), Eleventh Season (2021–2022), Hamdan International Photography Award (HIPA)[28]
  • 2020: First place, Editorial, Press, Environmental, Jury Top 5 selection, International Photography Awards[29]
  • 2014: First prize, Snapping Cities, Mo Ibrahim Foundation[30]

Exhibitions

  • 2025: Unwanted Waste or Precious Resources? An Exhibition on Informal E-Waste Recycling in Ghana, Berlin Global Village, Berlin, Germany[31]
  • 2025: Unwanted Waste or Precious Resources? An Exhibition on Informal E-Waste Recycling in Ghana, Goethe Institut Ghana, Accra, Ghana[32]
  • 2025: Ghana: Following our E-waste, Change Now Summit 2025, Grand Palais, Paris, France[33]
  • 2024: Ghana: Following our E-waste, Foundation Manuel Rivera-Ortiz (MRO), Arles, France[34]
  • 2024: Ghana: Following our E-waste, Port of Solferino, Quai Anatole France, Paris, France[35]
  • 2021: Plastic is Forever, Rotonde du Mont-Blanc, Geneva, Switzerland[36][37]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Ghana - 13e édition du Prix Carmignac du photojournalisme". www.fondationcarmignac.com. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
  2. ^ a b "In photos: Ghana's complex e-waste industry". Huck. 2024-09-17. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
  3. ^ a b c "'Burner boy' photo that reunited a family". BBC News. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
  4. ^ a b J; o; n; a; t; h; a; n; L (2024-10-05). "Stunning photos of a vast e-waste dumping ground — and those who make a living off it". NPR. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
  5. ^ Obour, Samuel K. "Muntaka Chasant: The 26-year-old Ghanaian who Conquered Kilimanjaro". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 2026-08-06.
  6. ^ Doane, Seth (2023-11-26). "The tragic cost of e-waste and new efforts to recycle - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
  7. ^ Johnson, Sarah (2023-06-05). "'It's like a death pit': how Ghana became fast fashion's dumping ground". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
  8. ^ Jérôme, Benjamin (October 1, 2022). "Au Ghana, les ravages écologiques et humanitaires des vieux vêtements occidentaux". Le Parisien (in French). Retrieved August 4, 2026.
  9. ^ "La décharge de déchets électroniques d'Agbogbloshie, véritable défi économique et environnemental pour le Ghana". France Info (in French). 2020-03-17. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
  10. ^ Jensen, Skrevet af: Christina Nordvang (2023-04-16). "I Ghana hedder det »Obroni Wawu«: Den døde, hvide mands tøj. Og der kommer stadig mere af det". Information (in Danish). Retrieved 2026-08-04.
  11. ^ "2020 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor" (PDF). U.S. Department of Labor | Bureau of International Labor Affairs. September 29, 2021. p. 62. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 1, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2026.
  12. ^ "Sweat & Toil 2022 FINDINGS ON THE WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOR" (PDF). U.S. Department of Labor | Bureau of International Labor Affairs. September 26, 2023. p. 64. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 26, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  13. ^ "2022 List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor" (PDF). U.S. Department of Labor | Bureau of International Labor Affairs. September 2022. p. 54. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 1, 2025. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  14. ^ "Ilmastokriisi kuihduttaa elinkeinot Ghanassa" (PDF). Kehitys Utveckling. May 2, 2023. pp. 4, 5, 30–29. Archived from the original on February 10, 2025. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  15. ^ "Mountains of clothes washed up on Ghana beach show cost of fast fashion". The Independent. 2022-07-27. Retrieved 2026-08-01.
  16. ^ "Pictured: Piles of Britain's unwanted clothes wash up on Ghana's beaches". The Telegraph. July 26, 2022. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  17. ^ Weidenhamer, Jeffrey D.; Chasant, Muntaka; Gottesfeld, Perry (2023-04-03). "Metal exposures from source materials for artisanal aluminum cookware". International Journal of Environmental Health Research. 33 (4): 374–385. doi:10.1080/09603123.2022.2030677. ISSN 0960-3123. PMID 35100934.
  18. ^ Li, Chengjun; Li, Chunyang; Hamid, Ilham Ku-nwa; Anane, Mike; Nnorom, Innocent Chidi; Seidu, Raphael Kanyire; Li, Yuelin; Chasant, Muntaka; Zhong, Huan; Baldé, Cornelis Peter (2026-07-02). "End "reusable" waste dumping in Africa". Science. 393 (6806): 45–46. doi:10.1126/science.aei3868.
  19. ^ "Gov't urged to support snakebite victims". 2021-05-24. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  20. ^ Times, Ghanaian (2023-06-15). "Protect existing forests to mitigate climate change - Chasant". Ghanaian Times. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
  21. ^ GNA (2022-10-31). "Protect peatlands, mangroves to mitigate climate change — Gov't urged". Ghana News Agency. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
  22. ^ "Photojournalism award reveals major problem of e-waste in Ghana". euronews. 2024-07-05. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
  23. ^ "Anas, Muntaka Chasant win photojournalism award in France - MyJoyOnline". 2023-12-22. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
  24. ^ "Global e-Waste Monitor 2024: Electronic Waste Rising Five Times Faster than Documented E-waste Recycling | UNITAR". unitar.org. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  25. ^ "The Global E-waste Monitor 2024". ITU. Retrieved 2026-08-03.
  26. ^ Fidler, Matt (2022-12-02). "Environmental photographer of the year 2022 – in pictures". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-08-01.
  27. ^ "Cast your eye over the Environmental Photographer of the Year winners". BBC Science Focus Magazine. 2022-12-02. Retrieved 2026-08-01.
  28. ^ "Hamdan International Photography Award (HIPA)'s Eleventh Season (2021–2022) Nature" (PDF). HIPA Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Awards. p. 150. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  29. ^ "IPA 2020 Winner / Plastic Crisis: Men On The Front Lines / Muntaka Chasant". photoawards.com. Retrieved 2026-08-01.
  30. ^ "MO IBRAHIM FOUNDATION NEWSLETTER" (PDF). Mo Ibrahim Foundation. December 2014. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 4, 2016. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  31. ^ ""Unwanted Waste or Precious Resources?"". www.berlin-global-village.de. 2025-05-13. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
  32. ^ Bayreuth, Universität. "Unwanted Waste or Precious Resources? An Exhibition on Informal E-Waste Recycling in Ghana by Muntaka Chasant in Ghana". www.africamultiple.uni-bayreuth.de. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
  33. ^ "E-Waste in Ghana". Carmignac photojournalism award. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  34. ^ "Fondation Carmignac". www.fondationcarmignac.com. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
  35. ^ "EN IMAGES. Déchets électroniques au Ghana : à Arles, une exposition photo décrit une filière économique et un fléau écologique". franceinfo (in French). 2024-06-30. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
  36. ^ Nations, United. "In Images: Plastic is Forever". United Nations. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
  37. ^ "Plastic Waste Partnership Photography Exhibit | Plastic is Forever". www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org. Retrieved 2026-07-30.

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