People Fixing The World

Discover how walking is being reimagined as preventive medicine, social connection and a route to stronger communities. From doctor-led walks in the US and Hungary to Slow Ways, a volunteer-built network linking Britain’s towns and landscapes, explore projects making everyday journeys healthier, safer and more inviting.

Chhavi Sachdev, a documentary reporter covering environmental and social issues, visits Kashmir’s endangered Wular and Dal lakes. Conservationists revive vanished lotus blooms, while returning migratory birds signal hope. In Dal, workers turn invasive weeds into organic fertilizer for farmers. But sewage, chemical runoff and encroachment still threaten the lakes’ fragile recovery.

We look at three solutions connected to the “three Rs” – reduce, reuse and recycle. The city of Brussels in Belgium is in the process of moving all 40 municipal nurseries over to reusable nappies – and have managed to do it without their staff kicking up a stink! Also energy companies around the world have found ways to encourage customers to reduce their consumption by making it fun, and lastly we meet Makafui Awuku in Ghana - a man on a mission to turn used plastic into school desks.People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email [email protected]. We release a new edition every Wednesday - just search for The Documentary wherever you get your podcasts.Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: William Kremer Ghana reporter: Justice Baidoo Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines(Image: A baby and worker at one of Brussels' municipal nurseries, BBC)

Myra Anubi looks at two solutions that harness the power of pictures to help disabled people. Books Beyond Words is a UK charity that publishes books with no words, just big pictures on every page. They are made for people with learning disabilities, who come together to read them in book clubs. Myra also hears about TapSOS, the only smartphone app to be approved by the UK’s emergency services, which is aimed at people who struggle to speak on the phone. We hear from one user who believes it saved his life.People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email [email protected]. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.The podcast version of this episode was updated on 15th September 2026, as the incorrect episode was originally uploaded.(Photo: Reporter Natalie Duo with members of a London book club, two of whom are both holding books)Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Natalie Duo Producer: William Kremer Sound engneer: Gareth Jones Editor: Jon Bithrey

We visit two projects exploring practical responses to homelessness and housing insecurity. Presenter Myra Anubi travels to Edinburgh to see the work of Social Bite, a charity creating small communities of prefabricated homes on unused land, offering people a stable place to live and rebuild their lives. Meanwhile, in Nantes, western France, we meet the team behind Bureaux du Cœur, which partners with businesses to open up unused office space as safe overnight accommodation for people in need.People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email [email protected]. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer/reporter: Alex Collins Executive producer: Richard Kenny Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Andrew Mills(Image: Myra Anubi with Jayne and Michael at the Social Bite village in Edinburgh)

In 2017, Spanish engineer Pablo Bergasa began an unusual hobby: to design a new incubator for use in African hospitals. Eight years on, he has sent 200 of his machines around the world, and he estimates they have saved the lives of 5,000 babies. Pablo’s incubator costs just a small proportion of the price of a regular machine and can run on a battery and a bottle of water. Plus Myra Anubi hears about how a simple but ingenious plastic sheet is saving women from dying after giving birth.People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every week for most of the year. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email [email protected]. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.This podcast was first published in July 2025.Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter: Esperanza Escribano Producer: William Kremer Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Andrew Mills

Julia Carneiro, a Brazil-based BBC reporter, and Claire Bowes, a BBC producer covering human rights, explore more positive approaches to sex and sexual health. Kenyan musician and sex educator Kaz Karen Lucas challenges taboos around pleasure, identity and consent. The journey spans WhatsApp advice for women in Rio’s favelas, discreet support groups for Iraqi women affected by FGM, and Kenya’s fight for open, safer conversations.

A unique community in Chester in northern England, brings multiple generations together to encourage learning and connection. We explore how young children in the onsite nursery benefit from the time, attention and vocabulary skills offered by the older adults. Meanwhile the retirement home residents can benefit from increased social activity and a sense of purpose. We also speak to an intergenerational expert in Spain about the growing evidence that backs this new societal approach.People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every week. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email [email protected]. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Claire Bates Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Andrew Mills

When it opens in December, the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing will be the largest in the world. Stretched over a 10-lane freeway, it is intended to help save California's mountain lion population, which has become fragmented by the highway. It could also serve as a model for other projects, as crossings of this kind have often been viewed as too large to be effective. But will the crossing work? We examine the construction and the existing scientific data to find out.Image: Still picture from May 2026 drone footage of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing under construction (Credit: Caltrans)

Another summer brings more deadly and disruptive wildfires in Europe. As the earth warms up, they’re becoming increasingly common and harder to deal with. We hear about a special herd of cows which could help to keep some of the flames under control in future. And we find out how cutting edge space technology could be used to quickly detect forest fires when they break out.People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email [email protected]. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter/producer: Craig Langran Sound mix: Annie Gardiner Editor: Jon Bithrey