Until 15 years ago, Ilhabela was inhabited by only a few self-sufficient families. An influx of tourism and people moving to the island has caused Ilhabela to become overpopulated, threatening the island’s natural resources, including the waterfalls. The waterfalls are the only freshwater source on the island; a limited amount of waterfalls means there is a limited amount of water. When the island is overrun with tourists and cruise ships, water is often restricted or cut off for residents. I visited Ilhabela during the island’s off-season, and even then, we lost access to water. Seeing the effects of tourism and climate change, I created my project Ilhabela, which explored the connection between people and the environment to create a photographic series to document the essence of Ilhabela and the challenges it faces.
