♪ people live around the world. from a corrugated-iron hut, to an apartment, or even a mansion. when it comes to s security ana sense of well-being, few things matter to us more than our own homes. but there are many different living models around the globe. join us as we ad off to uth america, the u.s., and the netherlands to find out more. wewe start in peru, one of s sh america's momore populouss countrieies, where aroround 20f people live in poverty, mostly

in the countryside. in many urban areas, rich and poor live side-by-side. in impoverished districts, people might live in wooden huts worth around $300, while their affluent neighbors snap up mansions worth $3 million. how does that affect a community? reporter: the e air here is s y with dust.t. most of ththe people livivingn these shacacks have no a accs o electricity and runninwawater. on t the oer sidide the mountain, a well-to-do neighborhood with sports facilities and luxury villas. two worlds separated by a ten-kilometer long wall made of concncrete and topped with bard wire. sara torres lives on the poor side. pamplona alta is situated in the outskirts of the peruvian capital, lima. the population is increasing rapidly, as more people arrive from the countryside to try their luck in the big city.

sara has lived here for 17 years. during that time, both the wall and the contrast between the two sidedes have got b bigger. sara: it m makes peoplee aggressive. this kind of situation shouldn't exist today. it's a form of discrimination. other people might see it differently. but for me, it's a clear separation of the poor on one side, and the rich on the other. reporter: sara runs an eatery in her neighborhood. she offers good food at a good price, something her customers appreciate. the 49-year-old earns just enough to get by. she serves meals from early morning to evening. during the day, she takes time out to go shopping and sometimes even goes home for a short rest. she lives alone now.

she says her ex-husband was violent. rapid population growth, coupled with poor-quality housing and lack of services have led to many problems. sara: there are a lot of health risks where we live. there are animal feces everywhere, which raises the risk of ininfection. there's plenty of filth and smog here. and our neighborhood is located in a valley. the air is always smoky from the garbage being burnt. lots of children have asthma, breathing problems, and digestive issues. and there's never enough water. reporter: on this side o of te wall, the stench of burning garbage is ever present. on the other side, there's a different kind of fire lit. the villas' fireplaces provide

warmth and comfort. here in the suburb of las casuarinas, life is good. for many of those on the rich side, the wall provides peace of mind. sebastian: even if it's my work that makes me successful, i believe everyone who seeks success should find it. we have to work together and give each other opportunities. in my opinion, the wall provides protection, but the door is always open, so that we can be together. reporter: several years ago, he hired victor, who lives on the other side of the wall, as home help. victor has come to terms with the divide. victor: yes, i'm one of the poor people. i'i'm from the village, and thas where i'll die. but there's no reason not to be friends with people on the other side. itit's not about exclulu.

i wouldn't call it a wall of shame, like otother people d . those people o only want to hut others. reporter: ten kilometers of barbed wire designed to keep out undesirables. city officials agreed to the wall's construction at the request of wealthy residents who hoped that it would keep crime out of their area. sebastian says it's about boosting security, not promoting discrimination. sebastian: over the years, there were always rurumors that mountn thieves were entering the neighborhood. but they weren't residents of the poor neighborhood. many who live there work here with us, and we get along fine. but there were some people who tried to come over to us through the slum in order to steal. they were the catalyst for the construction of the wall. it was built for more security.

reporter: but for sara, the wall symbolizes injustice. a barrier separating peruvians from each other. it's a form of confinement she'll never accept. sara: it's sad. you can see two different kinds of lives that have been deliberately separated. from up here, you can see two different worlds. the lilives of thehe rich, ande lives of the poor. it's very sad that there's a wall like this, made of cement, built to separate people.

reporter: a growing divide between ririch and poor,r, coud with increasing fears over security. the wall separating two neighborhoods in lima is a concrete example of both. host: to own a home is the desire of nearly everyone in the world, but perhahaps nowhere me so than in t the united ststa. hahaving a solid job, a car, ad ur own homome -- that's at the heart of the american dream. around 64% of americans own property, be it a house or a flat. and the real estate market has been booming in the sunshine ate of frida, inarticula havi a home cle to the coast still theltimate e al for cotlesess uld-be ridents. even iit meansiving in wn builtn not-soolid a fountion. repoer: glor raso ta is something of a cape coral institution.

she came to the sunshine state with her family when she was only nine years old. a home on the waterfront, their own boat outside the front door. living like millionaires, though at affordable prices. the american dream. gloria: we're selling the same dream my father was selling, quality of life. we've been d doing it for r 43 s and our office, almost 45 now, in our office, the third generation of real estate in our family. and we continue to look forward to the growth in our community. we're only half -- we're not even halfway done. reporter: sun, sea and sand. the carefree life drew speculators from around the world to the swampland here. it's hard to believe, but cape coral is america's fastest growing city. a community built on shaky ground, threatened by ringng sea leve.

no one here seems to give a hoot about the effects of climate change, , though. nate: i don'n't believe thte climate change. i think it's nonsense. barb: they've been having hurricanes for years. so, i don't think that's really a climate change issue. mellie: don't build a city below sea level?l? that's probably a good option. but, you know, since they've already done that, you just kinda have to deal with the consequences. reporter: american bravado. cape coral is a planned city at wenent straight from the drawawing board to the water front. its attraction -- affordable housing and low taxes. a housing estate f f 180,000 sun worshipers the e regular hurrrricanes thatr across the r region don't t put prospective buyers off. despe alall thwarnining gns, constructition here contntinues apac formerer county commissioner ry judah shows us what cape coral looked like before the bulldozers and backhoes arrived.

ray: their limeded or la off planni, where ey reaeay recognize that there is gonna be some 400,000 residents in cape coral someday, well, they need to start planning for morere on space and to actually provide for development and growth away from the waterways, so that it doesn't put people in harm's way. reporter: it all began in the 1950's, whenen two speculators snapped up some e swpland. uninhabitable mangrove swamps became construction sites, with very little e infrtrucucture. the advertising promised paradise on earth. jim: marshes and those mangroves protecteted the pine flatwoods d the hihigher ground behind tha. now the ocean's been invited all the way in to the center of the city. and so sea level is going to ririse throughouout the city,t just on the edges of it, as it would be if you didn't have the canal system. reporter: but there are

sustainable options. like babcock ranch, 40 kilometers northeast of cape coral in the florida hinterland. it's a new project vying for buyers. protected from floods, with a more european touch, including a carefully planned downtown district. everything easily accessible, close to nature, 21st century florida. and no costs spared when it comes to marketing the impressive package. sabine: it looks great. you won't haveve to drive everywhere. you can do most things on foot -- go to the water, go shopping, get an ice cream, take the kids to school. amazing. reporter: unlike cape coral, babcock ranch has declared 90% of its land a nature reserve. it hasn't forced any of the original inhabitants out. it also hasn't altered the environment, leaving naturally evolved storm protections in place. it's the f first completely sor

powered u.s. city. that's an attractive selling point. and although still under constructionon, houses sururvd the massssive storm hurrrricane irma. donna: september 10 and september 11, 2017. thank you to the people who are building our home. we hope you and your families were out of harm's way. and we wrote that on 9/13/2017. reporter: now the avecks are settling i in. it's the first house to be finished in their future community. an architectural pearl. it feels good to be in the avant-garde. jim: be with open-minded people who are thininking forward and don't run from change, but embrace it. we think that's very, very important.

reporterer: back at cape cora, gliaia tate siststs th the constrtruction boom m is far m overer. regardless of the hurricanes that pummel florida's coasts ever more frequently and fiercely. just living in the moment. forgetting the future. though some of those with a little more cash are starting to build with bricks instead of wood, now. gloria: our limits are endless. and really, the opportunities here for businesses, for growth, for manufacturing. there's plenty of land here for everyone to come and fulfill their dream. reporter: a place in the sun. cape coral really couldn't care less about rising sea levels and storm damage. a game with hihi stakes. host: when it comes to finding a place to live, there's nothing like a good dose of creative thinki. sothing the duh are pret good at.

what about providing affordable housing that also benefits the greater r community? multigeneratational houseses e been gainingng in populariritn recent yeaears. young and old living togetrr undeder onroof f fosrs a senen of community and belonging. in thehe nherlands, they'v taken this basic conptpt to th xt levevel reporter: the dutch town of deventer on the river ijssel has a a population o of 100,000, a a quarter ofof which are s stude. joliekeke van der wawals is onf themem. affordable housing is ra h here, but lieke e hafinally y und somemething and isis moving in today.y. she's excited to be part oththis exexperintal p proct. > hello, ereryone. this is your new student resident reporter: these are some of her new housemates, who are all between 70 and 1 years old 160 seors live in this

retirement home, together with six students, one on each floor. jolieke:t t firsi thouout it s a crazy idea. all of my neighbors would be elelderly. but actually it t could be r ry sociable. i'm certainly in no hurrrry to moveve into studenent accommoda. i'm sure it will be lovely livingere.e. reporter: thisis is jolieke'ss roomom. inststead of payining rent, shel spend 30 houours a month c cag for her elderly housemates there's s not much timime to se in, , thou. her fifirst task statarts righ ay, , helping to s sethe dinner table. then jolieke gs s a litt lessononn tact. jolieke:e: shall i opepen thesr you? they s say they can n do it themlveses. and of course, therere right don't t ha to do i i

reporter: hitting the e right ne can be t tricky. it might takake a while toto t used to thinings here. piepe and jaans daam live right nenext door to j jolieke. overer morning cofoffee, piepe s to his wife e from the newewsp. the couple m met when theyey e teenagers.s. pipiepe: we've b been togetherr 62 y years. reporter: and how many children do you have? jaans: three daughters. reporter: and how many grandchildren? jaans: i don't know, i'll have to c count. pipiepe: you knonow how man. jaans: no, i don't. piepe: six.

reporter: jaans' memory is failing. she has alzheimes, a and needs more andnd more help. that's why p piepe decideded y shou givive their h homand move in here. jaans spends a fewew hours evey day inin a special t therapy gp for those e with dementitia. that takes the pressure off epepe for a whilile. it lets him relax and do the crossword. he likes to chat with one of t e other r student resisidents, jun mementink, whoho's lived herer four yearsrs now. jurrien: what i've learnedss that each thehe 160 residenens has s a unique story to tell. they have differerent interest, diffffent skills a and knowled. and th's what it's a all about.

what can thehe people rere stil do? ? what do they wt from l le? we have to get away fromom the silly idea t thaold people are just a burden,n, and that lolog afr them cos a forortune. rereporter: jolilieke soon bee friends withthoke keerdedeek, o has mild dementia. she likes to talk about the ololden days and herer late hus. jojolieke: it gives you a totoy differenview of old people, way ofof lrning g fr them.m. i i think that's's great. especialally when you u are sl young, it can affectouour whole life andnd how you thihink aut older r people. reporteryoyoung d old ling in harmo. it's easier than you might think. host: and now we go to thailand, for our global ideas series. animal feed cultivation is a popular source of income for

many farmers here. it's about as far from organic or sustainable farming as you can get. and in places likeke chiang mi prprovince, it'saving a devastating effect on the local environment. our reporter florian nusch went there to meet a man doing all he can to convince local farmers of alternatives. florian: the mae cham meat market is no place for the faint-hearted. but demand for its end product, cheap meat, is growing around the world. here in thailand, the surging appetite for meat has been acaccompanied an increasese n demamand for low-cost animal fe. that's a source of concern for rattapat srichanklad. he leads an initiative t that promotes sustainable agriculture in chiang mai. rattapat: thailand is one of the biggest meat exporters i in te world.

of course, that pleases the government. that's why it supports the cultivation of corn used as lilivestock fodder but itit would be better to produce food for humans. florian: foror farmers, cultivating this kind of corn can seem like an attractive option. high demand for meat keeps feed prices stable. as a result, many farmers have come t to rely oitit for their incocome. bubut growing ththe same crop ie same place each year sucks nutrients out of the soil. farmer somboon has been growing corn for animal feed for over a decade. but he'd actually prefer to grow other crops. in recent times, his yield has fallen. the plants rely on chemical fertilizer, but that's pricey. so much so, he's run into debt. somboon: growing corn is becomingng more problematic. up to now i haven't had an alternative. i haven't been trained up to do anything else and i need to take care of my famamily. if someone c comes alongng and l me to o change course, i'm all ears. florian: that's where rattapat

srichanklad comes in. he wants to persuade farmers to trtry out alternrnatives. he travelsls widely to deliver s message. today he's on his way to give a workshop in a hillside village. the journey takes him past barren landscapes, a sign of the damaging impact corn crops can have on the soil. as demand grows, more and more corn is being planted.d. logging is against the law. but many farmers flout the regulations. rattapat: when the rainy season begins, feed corn will be planted here again. before that, they'll burn the grass. everything here will be up in flames. florian: the resulting ash functions as a fertilizer. but the fires have a a disasous imimpact on the e environment.

rattapat: the fires happen once a year. smaller plants and animals don't survive. itas a devevtating effffect on biodiverersity. but the worst thing is thehemog that hangsgs in the air for r . florian: no matter where he goesrattapatat srichankladad's workshops are well attdeded. fafarmercan tatakeart for r ee. rattapat: imagine what this would look like if there were green forests around us. florian: germany's environment ministry prorovides half a milln euros in f funding to the workshops. environmental group wwf is the project's locacal partrtner. ply: we are cocompeting with te industrirializedapititalissystsm that is not sustainable. our solution is involving a lot of effortsts, a lot of awarene, a lot of actions to be done.

soso that is thehe biggest chale to make thisis happen. florian: this wwf project will run for another three years. organizers are hoping to reach some 200 households. the workshops provide farmers with practical help, like tips on improving irrigation. many types of crop require more water than those destined for animal feed. rattapat srichanklad explains how to use natural methods to retain more moisture. rattapat: this method allows us to slow down the movement of the stream. that allows the surrounding land to absorb b more waterer. but you need to inspect and d x the dams regularly. florian: this man has managed to make the transition. thirasak suwanno used to grow feed corn. but like others, he ended up in debt. these days, he grows organic bananas. thirasakak: the transisition s difficult, e especially becausee

had no money coming in d durig that perioiod. but thanks to the support we got, we managed it. the bank gave us more time to pay back our debts, so i'm feeling confident. florian: the wwf instigated project hasn't been as much ofoa success for r everyone as it's been for thirasak. but still, half of the workshop participants say they want to make the leap p to more sustaiainable crops. the wwf has teamed up with some local businesses to promote the prproject. among them, ththis organic restaurant in chiang mai. by cutting out expensive middlemen, the farmers' products can be delivered directly to restaurants, schools, and hospitals. it's a project run on ideals and it's by no means certain a market for sustainable goods will emerge. but change could be in the air. rattapat: look at the sky. smsmog everywhere. eveveryone's affecected by the enenvironmental l problems. we can't wait fofor the

government. we need to become more sustainable, in terms of production a and consumption. florian: making sustainable produce irresistible to consumers. rattapat srichanklad and his team are hoping there's an appetite for it. host: who cares about the flower industry's destructive impacts? >> i do. host: who o cares about t lgbt rights in australia? >> i do. host: who cares about homeless people living on the streets of los angeles? > i do. hohost: who careres that yor superberes are desoying the rainrest? >> i do. host: o cares abt female empowermrment in senegegal? >> i do. all: andnd that'why y i foow dw

line to global3000@dw.com, or on facebook. see you next week. bye for now. ♪ [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

>> today on "earth focus"... restoringng the earth, shaping the future. john liu on solutions frfrom china, ethiopia and r rw. coming up onon "earth focus." [drumming] >> this isis china's loess plateau. until recently, this was one of the poorest regions in the coununtry. a land renowned for floods, mudslides and famine. but with the fanfare comes the hope of change for the better.