question: How many years did it take to create "Curse of the Black Gold"? answer: 3 paragraph: LONDON, England (CNN) -- Last year's inaugural Prix Pictet photography award for environmental sustainability produced a stunning shortlist of photos. Ed Kashi has documented the impact oil has made on the Niger Delta in Africa. This year is no different with 12 photographers in the running for the first prize of 100,000 CHF ($97,500). The theme in 2009 is described simply as "Earth." The aim is to highlight how man exploits the planet's resources and how this impacts the landscapes and communities surrounding them. In an extraordinary series of photos Canadian Christopher Anderson captures how the quest for raw materials affects Venezuela. In "The Diminishing Present," Portuguese-born Edgar Martins records forest landscapes in the moments before they are engulfed by flames. In "Curse of the Black Gold: 50 Years of Oil in the Niger Delta," Ed Kashi captures the impact of the oil industry on Nigeria's environment and people since it was first discovered five decades ago. Kashi, an American photojournalist, spent three years compiling his photos of the Niger Delta, making a total of five trips to the troubled region. Kashi told CNN: "It was truly one of the most graphic examples of economic inequity that I have ever seen. Especially with the backdrop of hundreds of billions of oil wealth that has been generated over the previous 50 years." As a result of his work, Kashi says that his photos are now being used by universities and NGOs to raise awareness to try and effect change. To him, this has been one of the most gratifying and exciting by-products of his work. 