People Fixing the World

All across the world, invasive species are on the march. These are plants and animals that take over new areas, throwing nature out of balance. If left unchecked, they can destroy local ecosystems, drive native species to extinction - and put local livelihoods at risk.But people have been finding innovative ways to combat these invaders… like eating them!In Belize, we look at how encouraging local fisherman and restaurants to catch and serve up invasive lionfish has helped control their numbers and protect the local reefs.Meanwhile in Nashville, Tennessee, we see how one urban shepherd is deploying his flock of sheep - dubbed the ‘Nashville Chew Crew’ - to eat invasive plants and weeds across the city.Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Marisol Amaya Producer/Reporter: Zoe Gelber Series Producer: Tom Colls Sound Mix: Hal Haines Editor: Penny Murphyemail: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.ukImage: A lionfish (Getty Images)

In cities across Japan and the Philippines, an app called Tekkon is making data collection cool.It's a Pokemon GO-style game which pays people with cryptocurrency if they track down broken infrastructure – such as missing manhole covers and tangled electrical wires.The same technology that makes the cryptocurrency possible - blockchain - is also being used in South Africa to improve the lives of rubbish collectors.We investigate how this cutting-edge technology is attempting to solve some everyday problems.Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer / Reporter: Craig Langran Reporter: Michaela Papa Series producer: Tom Colls Sound Mix: Hal Haines Editor: Penny Murphyemail: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.ukImage: Isaiah Demdam

How do you care for someone properly in a hospital or care home if you don’t know who they are?With US hospitals and care homes seeing fast turnovers of staff, many clinicians don’t get the chance to learn their residents’ backstories. This can lead to patients feeling isolated and misunderstood. Meanwhile, staff miss out on valuable insights which could be incorporated into treatment plans or used to make someone’s hospital stay more comfortable.But a start-up called MemoryWell is working to fix this by hiring professional writers to create short biographies of residents that get pinned up on their walls. It’s helping staff personalise care for patients and it’s led to valuable points of connection at what can be a difficult and lonely time.Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter/producer: William Kremer Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Hal Haines Editor: Penny MurphyEmail: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.ukImage: Dot being interviewed for her biography.

As climate change leads to global temperature rises, cities around the world are being faced with extreme levels of heat. This can bring whole cities to a halt, disrupt key infrastructure, and for the most vulnerable in society heat can be a killer. But where there’s a problem, innovation is never far behind. We meet the people who are trying to find solutions – from urban designers finding inspiration in ancient technologies to keep cities cool, to social projects offering simple solutions to vulnerable populations. Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer/Reporter: Lizzy McNeill Series Producer: Tom Colls Sound Mix: Annie Gardiner Editor: Penny Murphy Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk Image: A hot child.

A young scientist has developed a white powder which gives waste soil concrete-like properties.Gnanli Landrou grew up in Togo, helping his neighbours dry out soil to make bricks, and his big dream is to help people like them build stronger, cheaper, houses.But the European building industry is also excited about his new, low carbon building material.We talk to Gnanli about his ambitions for this extraordinary powder, and meet the Swiss architect who is about to build a luxury apartment block with it.This episode was first broadcast in May 2022.Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Jo Mathys Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Hal Haines Editor: Penny MurphyEmail: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.ukImage: Gnanli Landrou

Is it possible for palm oil plantations, wildlife and the rainforest to happily coexist?Products containing palm oil, including soaps and cosmetics, are used by billions of people worldwide. While the industry is credited with reducing poverty in countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, it has also contributed to mass deforestation.In Malaysian Borneo, only small pockets of pristine rainforest remain, with much of the land taken over by mile after mile of palm oil plantation. But on one plantation, an NGO called Hutan has joined forces with the palm oil growers to try and make them better for nature.We visit the plantation to see how they're using wildlife corridors to connect the remaining islands of forest.Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Craig Langran Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Hal Haines Editor: Penny MurphyEmail: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.ukImage: An orangutan (Credit: Getty Images)

How can you get kids to school safely in a way that’s good for the environment and gives them some exercise too? We find out how kids from Spain to Scotland are joining together in long convoys known as “bike buses”. Teachers and parents accompany the joyful multitude of cyclists, which pick up children from pre-determined stops along the way. And in Kenya, we look at a different kind of transport problem. Motorcycle taxis are used all over the world, but converting them to electric has proved a challenge. But a new kind of business in Kenya has found a neat solution. They’re hiring pre-charged batteries to the drivers so they can swap them without waiting around for a charge.Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporters: Claire Bates, Yusuf Jumah Producer: Zoe Gelber Series producer: Tom Colls Sound Mix: Anne Gardiner Editor: Penny Murphy

US shopping malls, once a mainstay of American life, are in decline. Forty malls have closed since 2020, while more than 230 department stores have closed in the same time period, according to Green Street, a real estate analytics firm.But where there is change, there is also opportunity.After Burlington High School in Vermont had to close its doors because dangerous chemicals were found, the school hopped into a site vacated by Macy’s department store five years earlier.The children now ride the escalator to class. Elsewhere, malls have been converted into offices, casinos or large healthcare facilities. We explore the surprising second life being offered to these temples of consumerism.Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: William Kremer Series producer: Tom Colls Sound Mix: Anne Gardiner Editor: Penny MurphyEmail: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.ukImage: Pupils at a school in a department store.

As humanity expands further and further into the wild areas of the world, they are increasingly coming into conflict with the creatures that live there. One of those animals is the elephant. When tensions flare with these huge creatures, lives can be lost on both sides. We investigate the people trying to resolve these conflicts in a peaceful, bloodless way - like the farmers placing beehives on their fences in Kenya to ward off elephants looking to eat their crops. Because despite their size, it turns out that elephants are scared of bees.And in India, we meet a woman who is making trying to make sure people get the compensation they deserve when animals damage their land - so they don't let their anger out on the animals.Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Michael Kaloki Reporter/producer: Lizzy McNeill Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Anne Gardiner Editor: Penny Murphy Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk Image: An African elephant (Credit: Getty Images)

Explore dementia-friendly neighborhoods and care facilities in Singapore and France. Learn about innovative design features, such as color-coded buildings and QR codes for navigation. Discover projects focused on delaying dementia symptoms and improving motor skills. Find out about motion tracking technology and its connection to triggering memories. Uncover the positive impact of the Music Creek project on dementia patients' well-being.