by Claire O'Neill

National Geographic

In 2004, Jonas Bendiksen became the youngest member of the prestigious Magnum photo agency, at age 27. His career began when he was even younger.

"Generally," he once said in an interview, "whenever the big events are flying, and everyone's sort of moving in that one direction... I like to hop on a bike and go the other direction." At 20, he picked up from London, where he'd been interning at Magnum, and headed to the remote areas of Russia. Since then, he has published two books, won numerous awards, and photographed for National Geographic magazine — including a story this month's special water-themed issue.

  • In a dry Delhi slum, men swarm a tanker to gather water — more precious than cash and gone in minutes.
    Hide caption
    In a dry Delhi slum, men swarm a tanker to gather water — more precious than cash and gone in minutes.
    Jonas Bendiksen/National Geographic
  • A power plant spewing carbon dioxide competes for Yangtze water with family farms in Chongqing — a burgeoning municipality whose 31 million people depend on the river for daily needs.
    Hide caption
    A power plant spewing carbon dioxide competes for Yangtze water with family farms in Chongqing — a burgeoning municipality whose 31 million people depend on the river for daily needs.
    Jonas Bendiksen/National Geographic
  • Slum dwellers in Delhi wait hours for water from a privately owned tap, but many will be turned away.
    Hide caption
    Slum dwellers in Delhi wait hours for water from a privately owned tap, but many will be turned away.
    Jonas Bendiksen/National Geographic
  • Bangladeshis haul boatloads of bagged sand to reinforce a levee eroded by the flooding.
    Hide caption
    Bangladeshis haul boatloads of bagged sand to reinforce a levee eroded by the flooding.
    Jonas Bendiksen/National Geographic
  • A stranded bus makes a dry perch in Dhaka, where Bangladeshis slog through the capital after a downpour turned the street into a river.
    Hide caption
    A stranded bus makes a dry perch in Dhaka, where Bangladeshis slog through the capital after a downpour turned the street into a river.
    Jonas Bendiksen/National Geographic
  • A sleepy worker takes a break in a pile of cotton at a plant in Qurghonteppa, Tajikistan — a staple of their economy and irrigated by glacial rivers.
    Hide caption
    A sleepy worker takes a break in a pile of cotton at a plant in Qurghonteppa, Tajikistan — a staple of their economy and irrigated by glacial rivers.
    Jonas Bendiksen/National Geographic

1 of 6

View slideshow i

Bendiksen's feature, "The Big Melt," focuses on the ripple effect of drastic glacial melting in the heart of Asia: drought it some regions, flooding in others. Water is a lifeline for millions of people in these regions, and the changing climate is changing their lives.

Mount Everest's East Rongbuk Glacier lost nearly 350 vertical feet of ice between 1921 (top) and 2008.
Panoramas by Maj. E. O. Wheeler/Royal Geographic Society (above), David Breashears (below)

Mount Everest's East Rongbuk Glacier lost nearly 350 vertical feet of ice between 1921 (top) and 2008.

View more of Bendiksen's photo story on ngm.com, or check out more photos from the Magnum archive.

Seen something neat? Show us!
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter