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Pollution

Pollution can take many forms. But most agree that pollution is harmful for people and other life on Earth — whether dirty air, water or solid waste. What is more controversial is how to best prevent it and clean it up.

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All Content on this topic

Screenshot Recycling von Denim-Abfällen in erstaunliche neue Produkte

African firm recycling textile waste in Kenya and Nigeria

The fashion industry faces a growing waste problem. One African company is turning textile waste into something useful.
SocietySeptember 19, 202403:19 min
A drone and firework show lights up the Eiffel Tower on July 14

Could drone shows make fireworks a thing of the past?

Drone shows cause less pollution than fireworks displays and find no shortage of oohs and aahs.
TechnologySeptember 6, 202402:06 min
Living Planet 210318 Podcast Picture Teaser

Denmark wants your CO2, but why?

If you can't beat CO2, then bury it? That's basically Denmark's plan, but locals worry it will blow up in their face.
Nature and EnvironmentSeptember 6, 202432:32 min
A man stands at a table showing off a craft project

DIY: How to upcycle plastic caps into lip balm containers

A Ghanaian eco-entrepreneur shows how everyday plastic waste can become a beauty must-have with simple DIY techniques.
LifestyleSeptember 5, 202404:30 min
Factory emitting exhaust gasses in different colors

CO2 tax: A game changer for the climate?

Coal-fired power plants generate cheap electricity — and tons of carbon emissions. So why don't we tax them?
ClimateSeptember 3, 202408:21 min
DW Sendung The 77 Percent | DIY Nigeria: Interior decor with waste paper

DIY Nigeria: Interior decor with waste paper

One Nigerian artist is giving waste a second chance by turning used paper and bric-a-brac into decorative objects.
Nature and EnvironmentSeptember 2, 202402:53 min
DW "Global Us" Sendungslogo Composite

Gun craze in the USA - Global Us

Can schools in the USA really be safer if teachers are armed? And, Renata Flores raps in Quechua.
ClimateAugust 30, 202426:04 min
A sign with two hands holding a glass. A drop of water is dripping into the glass

What is groundwater?

Groundwater is everywhere, but how important is it for us?
Nature and EnvironmentAugust 26, 2024
Dead fish in the Oder river in Poland 2022

Can Poland save the Oder River from toxic algae blooms?

Two years after a dramatic fish die off in the Oder river, Poland is again battling algae blooms with hydrogen peroxide.
Nature and EnvironmentAugust 22, 2024
A picture of a construction site showing a half-finished building in the capital city of Nusantra

Will Indonesia's new capital city ever be finished?

Indonesia's new capital Nusantara is set to be inaugurated but it's still unfinished and there are doubts over funding.
BusinessAugust 15, 2024
An excavator searches for people trapped after the collapse of the Kiteezi landfill in Uganda on August 10, 2024.

Uganda landfill collapse leaves several dead

Heavy rainfall triggered the collapse of the landfill in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, with rescue operations ongoing.
CatastropheAugust 10, 2024
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Eco Africa - The Environment Magazine

Preserving the environment and growing green livelihoods—a mix of high-tech and low-tech empowers people and communities
Nature and EnvironmentAugust 8, 202426:04 min
Water seller in Paris at a table with bottles and a van titled 'Eau de Seine' on the opposite bank to the Eiffel Tower

Paris Olympics: Why is the Seine unsafe for swimmers?

What are the health risks for Olympic athletes swimming in Paris' contaminated Seine River?
ScienceAugust 5, 2024
DW "Global Us" Sendungslogo Composite

New paths & old ways

Lithium plays a key role in the shift to green power. Plus: climate change causes disease in Iraq.
Nature and EnvironmentAugust 2, 202426:06 min
View of the Seine river with bright blue Paris 2024 stands lining the banks

Olympics: Men's triathlon postponed over Seine water worries

The organizers said water pollution levels at some points of the swim course are "still above the acceptable limits."
SportsJuly 30, 2024
A view of dirty-looking Seine water washing up against blue wall with "Paris 2024" lettering

Olympics: Why Paris still can't fix the Seine's poop problem

As the men's triathlon is postponed, DW takes to the Paris sewers to discover why it's so hard to keep the Seine clean.
SportsJuly 30, 202401:31 min
A delegation boat is seen passing under Pont d'Austerlitz bridge on the river Seine

Paris 2024: Swimming training canceled over Seine pollution

France invested €1.4 billion to clean the Seine ahead of the Olympic Games, but pollution levels are rising again.
SportsJuly 28, 2024
Doku-Bilder | PFAS - Gift für die Ewigkeit? Wie abhängig sind wir?

PFAS - Poisoned for eternity?

Coated pans, waterproof clothing and refrigerants for air conditioning systems all contain PFAS.
HealthJuly 26, 202442:34 min
The Niederaussem lignite-fired power station in Niederaussem, Germany

German court orders stronger action to tackle air pollution

The ruling found in favor of an environmental NGO that had sued the Scholz government.
Nature and EnvironmentJuly 23, 2024
A woman holds okra in her hands

India: Urban gardening could help beat heat and pollution

There's been an uptick in urban gardening in New Delhi and it's providing growers with multiple benefits.
Nature and EnvironmentJuly 19, 202402:10 min
DW Sendung The 77 Percent | #226

Bukavu's queen of recycling

In Bukavu, Nicole Menemene, a young entrepreneur tackles pollution by upcycling the city's plastic.
SocietyJuly 18, 202402:59 min
pour water

Clean drinking water thanks to the sun

Millions of people in Brazil have no access to clean drinking water. An environmental entrepreneur has developed a solut
Food SecurityJuly 15, 202406:01 min
DW Eco India (Sendungslogo Composite)

Adapting to changing ecosystems - Eco India

As temperatures rise and extreme weather events become more frequent, how can we adapt to the changes and thrive?
Nature and EnvironmentJuly 11, 202405:56 min
Three workers manufacturing soap in Uganda.

Uganda: How making soap can clean up a river

5 million people rely on Uganda's polluted River Rwizi. Making soap is one way of cleaning it up.
Nature and EnvironmentJuly 8, 202405:47 min
An artificially generated imaged of the Icon of the Seas cruise ship

Pollution at sea: How green are cruise ships really?

The cruise industry is booming. But what's driving the hype and how can cruising be made more sustainable?
TravelJuly 5, 202405:55 min
Raumluft, Projekt Zukunft

Improving indoor air quality

Pathogens and pollutants in indoor air can be kept in check with good ventilation systems.
ScienceJune 29, 202405:17 min
Videostill | Liquid Tree in Belgrad

Serbia seeks to beat air pollution with 'liquid trees'

Serbian scientists are helping to purify the air in cities with what they call liquid trees, made up of microalgae.
Nature and EnvironmentJune 25, 202402:22 min
Musician Zabda performing on his guitar for a group of school kids

Burkina Faso musicians helping to beat plastic pollution

A singer and his band are raising their voices to boost awareness about plastic pollution in Ouagadougou.
Nature and EnvironmentJune 24, 202404:46 min
Diver under water

Child scuba diver spearheads plastic clean-up in India

A 9-year old girl and her scuba instructor father have sparked a movement, collecting garbage off the coast of India.
Nature and EnvironmentJune 21, 202402:46 min
DW "Eco Africa" Sendungslogo mit Partnerlogos (Composite)

Eco Africa — The Environment Magazine

A singer speaking up in Burkina Faso. Using sewage water to make beer. Replacing plastic with leaves.
Nature and EnvironmentJune 20, 202426:04 min
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REV – The Auto & Mobility Show

Testing the Dacia Duster. Helping Kenya address air pollution. And cars exploding in Venezuela.
Cars and TransportationJune 18, 202426:04 min
Video Still Eco Africa

Trashy tunes to raise awareness

DRC band Kin'Gongolo Kiniata use discarded objects to make music - and raise awareness about the huge issue of waste.
Nature and EnvironmentJune 18, 202402:30 min
Co2 emitting factory

Could a carbon tax help address the climate crisis?

Taxing CO2 emissions is designed to incentivize change. Could it be made to work?
ClimateJune 18, 202408:20 min
Video Still Eco Africa

Kenya: Drinking straight from the tap

To make clean water more accessible, an organization in Kenya harvests water from the air.
Nature and EnvironmentJune 17, 202405:01 min
DW "Global Us" Sendungslogo Composite

From big visions to big business - Global Us

Ghost Army: How a US unit fooled the Nazis during World War II. And how a carbon tax could help the climate.
BusinessJune 14, 202426:04 min
DW "Global Us" Sendungslogo Composite

More Climate Protection, More Democracy? Let's go for it!

Toxic ship graveyards in Bangladesh. Democratically-committed youth in Germany. Hugging trees in Uganda.
Nature and EnvironmentJune 10, 202426:04 min
Doku Plan KW 23 Giftwolken über dem Irak

Under poisoned skies - Iraq’s toxic oil fields

The air in many regions of Iraq is polluted and unhealthy, perhaps even carcinogenic.
SocietyJune 8, 202452:04 min
A man with a green helmet tries to get plastic bottles out of Lake Kivu with an oar in DRC, Africa.

Activists build an island while cleaning up Lake Kivu

Activists in the Democratic Republic of Congo are using plastic waste collected from Lake Kivu to build a huge island.
Nature and EnvironmentJune 4, 202404:00 min
DW Eco India (Sendungslogo)

Sustainable mangrove restoration in southern India

A mangrove restoration project in Tamil Nadu is using biodegradable bags to grow the seedlings, in a win-win for locals.
Nature and EnvironmentJune 4, 202406:11 min
A pile of discarded electronics products

EU: Right to repair aims to shrink e-waste pile

A new EU directive aims to encourage the repair of common household products. What will this mean for the economy?
BusinessMay 31, 2024
DW Podcast | Science Unscripted

'Bigger penises' & learning from our mistakes

Are male sex organs 'getting bigger' over time? Also, a study looks at why some of us stop learning from our mistakes.
ScienceMay 17, 202417:47 min
A glass box is filled with a green liquid on a street

Serbia's surprising solution to air pollution — liquid trees

Serbian scientists are trialing innovative liquid trees to help improve air quality in urban areas.
Nature and EnvironmentMay 15, 202401:30 min
A man dressed in a yellow and black striped shirt takes a photograph, with the camera pointed directly at the photographer

Indian photographers snap marginalized groups in Chennai

A photo exhibition in North Chennai is showcasing the lives of those living in poverty in the industrial region.
SocietyMay 13, 202405:41 min
A view of an art installation on the beach, showing several concrete statues of swimmers holding signs protesting sewage pollution

UK seaside town fighting water company pollution

Residents in an English seaside town are fed up with unfiltered wastewater, and are refusing to pay their water bills.
Nature and EnvironmentMay 13, 202406:49 min
DW Focus on Europe Sendungslogo

Focus on Europe — Spotlight on People

Many opposition members have fled Russia. They continue to resist Putin from exile.
PoliticsMay 9, 202426:05 min
EcoIndia Show | Dal Lake

Dal Lake: Can conservation efforts turn things around?

Local conservation efforts could turn things around for polluted Dal Lake in Srinagar.
Nature and EnvironmentMay 7, 202406:35 min
Eco Hospital staff and patient walking with ducks in Ghana

Ghana’s Eco Hospital helps patients heal

The Eco Hospital in Wa in northwestern Ghana uses the healing power of nature to treat patients.
Nature and EnvironmentMay 2, 202402:27 min
Women sorting fish by the sea in The Gambia

Overfishing and pollution: Threats to Gambia’s blue economy

A coastal community in The Gambia faces the dual threat of overfishing and industrial pollution.
Nature and EnvironmentApril 29, 202404:22 min
DW "Eco Africa" Sendungslogo mit Partnerlogos (Composite)

Eco Africa — The Environment Magazine

Threats to Gambia's blue economy, Tunisian olive farming in crisis and an eco hospital in Ghana.
Nature and EnvironmentApril 26, 202426:06 min
Fruit packaged in plastic or arranged in cardboard boxes

Shopping showdown — what's greener, plastic or paper?

Paper packaging is more environmentally friendly than plastic, right? But it's not so simple.
Nature and EnvironmentApril 24, 2024