would-be sailors, , whose homs are being destroyed by the sea. we visit a young woman from china who is intent on making her fortune online. and we're off to northern brazil, now home to more and more people trying to escape venezuela. for years, the south american nation of f venezuela hahas bn mimired in crisisis. mismanagement and corruption have brougught the countntry te brink. people are starvg,g, localhopsps

are e ofn empty. therarare regur ananti-governmenent protest. and thosose who can, l leave according to the international organization for migration, almost 1.6 million venezuelans have fled the country. most to neighboring colombia. hundreds of thousands of others have left for the u.s. and chile. and a growing number are now heading to brazil. reporter: many have been on the road for days. those who could afford it took a bus part of the way. they've now, finally, reached brazil. desperate venezuelans who nono longer see any future back home. >> we have no money. in venezuela you can no longer make enough money to survive. it might be enough to buy one chicken a month. reporter: pacaraimim-- the border between brazil and venezuela -- is a gateway.

it's also become a hub of smuggling and illicit commerce. most venezuelan refugees pass through here in search of a better life in brazil. jenny romero and her children have made it across. they come from the city of el tigre in the north of their troubled homeland. they say the situation there is unbearable. jenny: there is no work at all there anymore. it was very hard. reporter: jenny is looking for her husband, jesus. he left months ago, like tens of thousands of other venezuelans. many of those fleeing are marked by disease, hunger, and hardship. they find him. the family is relieved to be reunited.

jesus: i am so happy. i missed them so much. it's very emotional after such a long time. we haven't seen each other f fr four months. i missed them terribly. reporter: the north brazilian city of boa vista is a main contact point for the refugees. every daday, hundreds s arrive. the cityty can barely y cope h the influx.. the brazilian government has started resettling refugees in other cities across the country. the new arrivals can be seen everywhere trying to sell something or looking for work that usually isn't there. still, the conditions here are nowhere near as bad as those in venezuela. >> you can't even get a diaper there. and when you can, you can't afford it. you can't get milk for your baby either. reporter: boa vista is buckling under the pressure and needs help. the u.n. has set up additional

reception camps and d brazil's government has provided millions in the fororm of a relief progr. here, at least food staples are guaranteed. but the challelenges are mounti. luiz: many venezuelans come, often in a terrible state. they reach us starving. they have health problems and have had to endure a precarious situation in terms of security. the children need education, some need protectition, they'e been the victims of violence and exploitation. there are also many unaccompanied children. reporter: the efeffects of venezuela'a's humanitatarian cs have long been felt in neighboring brazil. genesis: i have three children, one of whom is disabled. we couldn't get any treatment at home, no medicine. it's hard for one person to survive there, but with three children it's impossible. i came here hoping to make some

money. i know there aren't many opportunities, but at least we have something to eat here. reporter: and, for the time being, they have somewhere to stay and some medical assistance. but the prospects of finding work in northern brazil are slim. genesis: so far, i haven't found anything, no way to make money. i'd do anything. cleaning, anything. i'm ready, and i can learn anything. reporter: she now wants to make her way south, perhaps to sao paulo where there are more job opportunities. jesus and his family have had more luck. we find them here. jesus has found a job in a small workshop, and the owner has provided jesus and his family with a room right next to the workshop. the opportunity is a new

beginning for jenny, jesus and their childrenen. jenny: right now it's all about getting a a foothold here,e, d getting the kids into school. we just want stability, a normal life. reporter: fresh hope for the family here in brazil. the romeros can't say whether they will ever return to venezuela. for now, they see little chance the situation back home will improve. host: natural disasters are another reason many peoplele ae forced to uproot. in 2016 alone, all over the globe, catastrophes forced 23.5 million from their homes. in the pacific, the nation of kiribati has a population of around 150,000. but many of its islands are gradually sinking into the sea, making the future uncertain.

the encroaoaching sea wawaters al salting up grououndwater sources, threatening staple crops. many families are in a precarious situation. reporter: it's the first roll call of the day at the marine training center for sailors on betio island. at 6:00 a.m., before breakfast, the mtc trainees do 30 minutes of exercise. the center has been around for more than half-a-century. it was co-founded by a german shipping company. today it's run by the kiribati government. rubeaua: i'm in training here because i would like to work on the high seas. i want to earn money to support my family. i'm interested in japan. i would like to see what it's like t there, and how they fis.

reporter: rubeaua is in the first row. but, as with all the trainees here, he's just a number. still, many of the candidates are excited about their future. few have ever sailed beyond the horizon. this man says the training here will equip him to work on any kind of fishing boat. it doesn't matter whether it's a trawler or a vessel that fishes long line. we ask if he's been toto anothr country before. no, he says. this man says he's looking forward to working on a german ship later on. he says it might be a cargo ship or some other vessel, he doesn't really mind. most of the trainees here want to one day work for the spms, or south pacific marine service. it's a german joint enterprise involving six different companies which all take

candidates that have finished the training. the director of spms is captain andrew heinzen. he says all the young men here have grown up with the ocean, which is something the shipping industry values. but in his experience, another factor often stands in the way of better-paid positions at sea. drew: didiipline is the main problem. and also trying to explain time and clocks to the mariners. in europe, or in maritime navigation, we have totally different times, and totally different temporal rhythms. and we have to try to teach this to the trainees who want to be sailors. host: after six months of training, rubeaua, or f-11, will be qualified to work on the deck of a tuna trawler. 18 months of study is required to work on the bridge. but that's too long for f-11. even though he's only in his early 20's, he will soon have to provide for three generations of

his family. working on a vessel will mean long periods away from home. rubeaua: it will be very sad to no longer see my family. but thisis school is the opportunity to save my parents. it's the only way i can help myself and others. reporter: now that climate change is threatening traditional livelihoods, the potential income has n never bn more important. the mtc training is rigorous, with a strong emphasis on discipline. sunday is the only day off. each week, rubeaua leaves the school on the hour-long boat ride to his home village. on the ocean side, waves are eroding the island's foundation. only the shore of the lagoon remains intact. mtc trainers drop him off.

the family subsists on what nature provides. the government buys up copra or dried coconut meat, but yields have beeeen sinking g year afr year. rising water temperatures and sea levels also have an effect on marine life. now when rubeaua's father goes fishing,g, he often only b brs home seaweweed. tabeia: : everything is changi. we are catching fewer fish, regardless of whicich kind. other r sea life is also disappearing. and on land, we have erosion. water from the well is growing salty, and the coconut palms produce very few coconuts nowadays. rubeaua: i'm really worried. what's happening here because of climate change when i'm not around.

i'm afraid everyrything wi changege. reporter: kiribati is one of the poorest countries in the world. and climate change is making it even poorer. rubeaua will soon have what others don't, a job so he can support his family. but he's paying a high price to have one. host: this week in global ideas, we head to southwestern uganda, to the mpanga river. the once-beautiful waterway has been a dumping ground for sewage and waste, and the rich vegetation along its banks has been destroyed. but things are starting to change. our reporter julius mugambwa headed to the small town of fort portal. there, he met people determined to revive their ailing river. julius: there wasn't always as much rubbish in and around the mpananga river, ththat's what ls say.

t the problem has become worse anworsrse. the rbrbage noblococks the flow of the river and pollutes the water. to clean it t up, these days, everyone pitches in, with locals from fort portal in western uganda coming together once a month to collect garbage. head ofof local conservation grp,p, edgarugananzi succccessfully raiaised awarenef the problem.m. to start with, he had to conndnd wi a l lot of reluctctance. edgar: it is a problem dumping within the buffer zones of the river, e even outside e the ri, by thehe way. asas you walk araround you wilil alizize th wastete magement t still a a problem in f fort po. as w we are doing this work, e don't do i it ourselves.s. i involve leadedershibecausue they a are the ones s with auththority, we ininvolve te communitities.

julius: the quality of the river's water is crucial for the region. originating in the mountains, it irrigates the fields around fort portal and flows into lake george, a regional fishing hub. but large swathes of land along the river have been deforested, causing widespread erosion. the only intact forest left is in the kibibale national park. it's home to some 1400 chimpanzees, making it one of their most important h habitatsn ugandada. their survival depends on a futiononinclean water supp.. if the river is dedegrad, regional biodirsity wi sufferer getting the general publ intererestedn consnsertion wass no e easy task. most of the locals live in poverty. environmental protection has to make economic sense if it's going toto catch on.

so muganzi works as both conservationist and financial adviser. he explains to locals how to save and invest their money. edgar: that is one entry strategy that we used. it is an entry strategy into the community, because we came andd everyoyone was doingng their n thing, so ththe strategy w wao let them c come togetherer, nd commonon activities s togetheo that we were able e to bng inn our otheher issues like vivironmenprprotecti, trtree planting, ececo-san constrtruct, but the otother thing ththat my brings them togegether is ee saviving. julius: every thursday, locacas cocome together in a savings communitity. they pay in what they've earned, and can lend m money to one another. edgagar: they alreready have successful stories. some people borrow to o go and make tirir own businesesses, however smalall they are, , buty ararso meaniniful, and they have an impmpact on theirir live. julius: ththe savings cocommuy

now has 150 members. in return for their membership privileges, they take part in garbage collection and reforestation efefforts. thanks to o the communitity, e local farmers have been ab t to esestablish a susuccessful sed line o of business. mariria-goretti bebeguma is anr member of the savings community who has managed to set up a business with a loan. the mother of six used to farm a small plot of land. now she's a shop-owner, and providing for her family. without muganzi's financial advice, she would never have taken that step. maria-goretti: i deposited 100,000 shillings with the savings group, and later i was able to borrow 200,000. i used that money to buy items for my store. by reselling them, i make a profit. julius: muganzi collects seedlings of native trees in the national park, which he plants along the river as part of the reforestation efforts.

he set up a nursery where the saplings are c carefully tendd for a few weeks,s, before theye ready to plalant. muganzi and the savings community have planted 18,000 trees so far. local authorities provide support in the form of funds and land. today, the conservationist is on his way to give a talk to schoolchildren. ensuring a clean water supply, keeping forests intact, and preventing ground erosion -- those are the cornerstones of his message to the next generation. muganzi has taken that message into 20 schools. he doesn't even need to offer these young people financial incentives to spark their interest.

around 2000 of them belong to environment clubs. he says s it's much haharder to convincece adults of t the importance of environmental issueshan n younpeoplele. he's pinning h h hopesn themem to m make a differerence. edgagar: if you wawant anythingg goodod, it has to o start withe chilildren because they are te onones going to o manage thesese natural resources t the future, so the moment they s sta when they are still y young, you inculcate e that culrere of envinment,t, that culture e of conserervation when n they are l young, sthey will grow knowing 's's very portrtant protetect the e environment.t. julilius: with theheir help, s confident he can rch h his tatarget in t the next few w years, edr mugaganzi is hopining to plana million trees.

host: china is not only the world's most populous country, it's also a colossus when it comes to the internet. whether playing games, listening to music, shopping or watching videos, more than 830 million chchinese will spend time onlie this year. in the u.s., that fifigure is about 275 million. live streaming is booming in china. the sector is forecast to bring in $10.6 billion in 2018. no wonder then that many young chinese are hoping to make i t big on one of the nation's many streaming platforms. reporter: it's a nationwid aze,e, a n-stop tatant showw that eveveryone wants s to taket in.. video selfies of ranm m people siing, bususng a move, while otothers are happy simply presenti to the woworld their

everyday lives, whwhat they're eating todaywhat m makes themm laugh. livive streaming g is as phomenenon ichinina. everyone is chasing viewers. for some it's jujust for fun, t others are looking for fame and fortune. beijing-based linlin is just starting out in her career as a live streamer. the 22-year-old studied management in singapore. back in china she got a job at a state-owned enterprise, but saw little future there. guo: i don't want to be tied down by my job. i love my freedom. live streaming is a new industry. i want to try it out and find out what i can do. reporter: linlin hopes this agency in beijing will help her make her dreams come true. the company has rows and rows of small studios, and some 9000 live streamers under contract.

their job is to build up the biggest possible fan base. after passing an auditioion, linlin now streamsms for six hos a day. more than 200 million chinese visit live streaming platforms. linlin only has around 1000 viewers so far, but she answers messages, , sings and chats abt her daily life. even while eating, she's still streaming. as a newcomer, she doesn't earn much. unlike this man. xinxin is getting ready next door. he's a star of the industry, with more than a million followers. after college, he wanted to work in fashion, sang in bars, but then tried live streaming to earn more money. meng: when i started, i wasn't natural. a lot of people didn't like me, and i hardly had any fans. then my friends told me just to be myself. since then it's been going

great. reporter: an assistant with a phone keeps a record of the digital gifts that fans send in. that's where the money is. they range from virtual racing cars to roses and rings. cheap ones cost less than a euro, but the fancier versions are priced at t several hundre. successful live streamers can earn upwards of 6000 euros a month. some top stars h have even bece millionaires. most barely manage to make ends meet. linlin's agent gives her tips while she's streaming. the agency t takes a a cut ofe digital gifts and helps the streamers improve their marketing. zhang: to make it asas a live streamer, women in p particulr have to be good looking, and they need communication skills. men also n need to look good, t mostly their s streaming has toe funny. they need a good senense of hum.

reporter: anyone who doesn't quite meet beauty standards can be made better lookiking. filters can make the chin smaller, skin smoother, eyes wider. linlin also looks difffferent n screen. live streaming gets the nation talkining. but china's rigid censorship system means nothing can be sasaid, written n or performedeh coulbe d deemeoffensnsive or obscene by t the communistst p. anyone w who doesn't play by te rules quickly discovers that critical keywords and chats are blocked by software and company employees. several platforms have been shut down. the party leadership supports live streaming because the industry creates jobs. even so, red lines may not be crossed. not by fans, either.

kelvin: platform users mostly carere about games, entertainmt and personal presentations. the main thing is that it's not political. in other words, they keep away from politics, pornography a a religigion. reporter: china's state media are calling for stricter guidelines, because some live streamers are becoming ever more reckless. last year, a 26-year-old rooftopper died falling off a skyscraper while filming a video seselfie. linlin is no d dared. she wants to make people laugh. hours of streaming have left her exhaustete but she still h t to debrief with her agent. she needs to learn to deal with online abusese. guo: i if someone says i'm uglyi say there must be something wronong with their eyeyes and y need to see e a door untilil ty think i'm beautitil. that's how i reactct to nasty comments, i'm a bit ironic. reporter: then it's back to business.. manyny streaming stars take at

least a year to build up a good following, and that's encouraging for linlin. but most live streamers give up at some point, and disappear from the screen as quickly as they arrived. and no wonder. it's a crowdedield. >> who c cares about thehe flr industry's destructive impacts? >> i do. >> whoho cares abobout lgbt ris in australia? >> i do. >> who careses about homeless people living on the streets of los angeles?s? >> i do. >> w who cares that your superberries are destroying the rarainforest? >> i do. >> whoho care about female empopowerment in senegal? >> i do. all: and that's whwhy i followw but we l love hearing from youso wre toto us globabal30@dw.comom

and check out our facebook page. see you soon, and till then, take care. ♪ [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

narratoror: on this s episode of "earth f focus," howow can we mannage, protetect, and nonourir natural resources while meeting the growing global demand for food? a model of local control along the coast of madagascar provide a blueprint for ocean sustainability and community building, while in san diego, scaalability is the goalal as researchers work to build the first open-ocean fish farm in the united states.. [film adadvance clicking]