Rivers – the lifeblood of our planet – are facing unprecedented threats. From pollution to damming, human activity has taken a toll on these vital waterways. But there’s hope. “Our Changing Planet: Restoring Our Rivers” explores the ambitious efforts underway to revive these dying ecosystems and the impact these projects have on local communities.
The episode, airing on BBC One at 7:00 PM GMT, takes us to two distinct locations: the Klamath River in northern California and the Seine in Paris. Liz Bonnin returns to the Klamath to witness history in the making – the largest dam removal project in the US, a monumental effort to bring the river back to life and restore the salmon runs vital to local indigenous tribes like the Yurok and Karuk.
Meanwhile, in Paris, Ade Adepitan investigates a different kind of river revival. With the 2024 Olympics spurring action, a mega-engineering project aims to clean up the Seine and make it swimmable again. Scientist Fabien Esculier introduces a novel approach to the problem, collecting urine for use as agricultural fertilizer. Can these projects succeed? The stakes are high.
