South African photographer Shem Compion has spent over two decades capturing the majesty and complexity of Africa’s Great Rift Valley, a 4,000-mile geological scar stretching from Mozambique to Djibouti. His journey, now compiled in the art book The Rift: Scar of Africa, captures the stunning landscapes, wildlife, and lives of the Rift’s human communities, blending them with scientific insight and conservation advocacy. Compion’s journeys took him from flamingo-filled lakes in Kenya to Ethiopia’s remote Omo Valley, where he developed close relationships with Indigenous tribes like the Suri, supporting language preservation and sustainable practices. In the book, he highlights both conservation victories, like Gorongosa National Park’s revival, and ongoing challenges, including desertification and urbanization. Compion’s perspective reveals the Rift not as a mere split in the continent, but as a deeply interconnected system where human choices and natural ecosystems continuously shape each other.
CNN
