From the Arctic to the South Pole, and across the Pacific Ocean – the Belgian documentary photographer and explorer Christian Clauwers takes us on a planetary journey to see stunningly beautiful landscapes, and to highlight their fragility in the face of melting glaciers and rising sea levels.

He shows us small Pacific island states whose survival is now at risk: atolls and coral reefs with blue lagoons and white sands, lying low in the water – Kiribati, Marshall Islands and Tuvalu. We hear of the impact of melting sea ice on biodiversity, including food crops and species like polar bears and penguins.

He describes two developments in the Norwegian island of Svalbard to safeguard what might otherwise be lost – the Global Seed Vault and the Arctic World Archive.

A Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in London and The Explorer Club in New York, Christian Clauwers has given talks on all continents and sailed all five oceans to some of the world’s most remote and uncharted islands.

An exhibition of his photographs is on view during the Festival at the Ship of Fools Gallery in Bridge Street, Kirkwall from Thursday 4 to Monday 8 September.

The visit of Christian Clauwers has been made possible by support from EventScotland.