>> welco to global 30! this week, we go to paris to find out how the pandemic is reshaping thfashion industry as we know it. we head to thailand where traffic congestion dogs the lives of commuters. but there are alternatives. but we begin in iran, where a crisis-mired economy and a second wave of the coronavirus are testing people's limits. one country, three crises.

the first is political. iran's government is built around ayatollah khamenei and present rouhan a setup that's viewed with suspicion by the u.s., israel and saudi arabia in partular. iran is also embroiled in long-running proxy wars in syria and men. then there's the economy. strict u.s. sanctions have left iran in dire economic straits. flging oil renues, risg flation, ression, ev before the pandemic, the economy was struggling. now, it's hit rock-bottom. and then, there's the health crisis. iran was one of the first countries outside china to face high coronavirus infection figures. six months later, the virus is still not under control. how are iranians coping with all ofhis? >> after every customer, hamid disinfects his car inside and out. he tells us that no one would

get into his taxi otherwise. despite this, most people are still avoiding taxis for fear of getting infected. business is bad. today, hamid will drive us around tehran all day. finally, a good assignment for him. >> i have a few customers who still have not going out because of the coronavirus crisis. i go to the bank for them or shopping in the supermarket. but i still only earn half as much as before the coronavirus crisis. >> our first stop is tehran's grand bazaar. here, you'll understand why the numbers are going up again, he says. hamid stops at the entrance gate, saying he'll go no further than here. >> i don't go in there. it's very narrow and it's covered. it's way too crowded. the risk of getting infected is too high. you can see for yourself. i don't need to say any more. >> most people in tehran are wearing masks, but hardly anyone observes social distancing rules. we have an appointment with dr. anissian, an immunologist and

adviser to the national coronavirus committee. in just six days, he built a covid-19 emergency clinic, with the help of private donations. iran is experiencing a second wave of infections. the government is reporting over 2000 new cases every day. but anissian doubts that the number of confirmed cases overall is accurate. dr. dachshund >> i have not any scale to calculate exactly, but in my opinion, two million is real statistics. >> the country had got over the first wave of infections. at the end of april, travel and lockdown restrictions were eased, shops and mosques began to gradually reopen. but in early june, the figures started rising again. videos posted online showed overcrowded hospitals, with patients on ventilators. reports said the country lacked medical supplies and hospital staff were overwhelmed.

no one is prepared to confirm those reports on camera. many are also afraid to criticize the government's decision not to impose a new lockdown, despite the rising number of cases. >> any policy of the government depends on the money, culture and the economic system. in our economy, our fragile economy, we are in sanctions. the people need to work. >> around 300 patients are cared for every day in his clinic. one in ten is positive. they're either put into quarantine or referred to hospitals. mehdi has been here several times. two weeks ago, he tested positive for covid-19. today, he came to get the results of his follow-up test. >> i'm no longer at risk myself, but i can infect others. i'm supposed to stay in quarantine for another five

days. the situation has gotten really intense. a few days ago, there was nothing going on here, and today, it's really full. >> hamid, our driver, is scared. he'd like the government to take more drastic action, but knows there's little chance of that happening. >> to enforce a strict quarantine, we would need enough money. but we simply don't have that. the government would have to support the people financially so that we can meet our daily needs. but evidently, it's not able to do that. >> the country is in the midst of an economic crisis. we meet up with behzad, a jewelery designer, who tells us more. two years ago, we filmed him in his jewelry design school. hundreds of students trained with him. it was a real success story. iranian craftsmanship sold worldwide. but then came the u.s. sanctions. and the coronavirus.

he shows us around an empty school building. >> i have branches in tehran, shiraz, muscat and other cities, a totaof eleve schools. some cities are not red zones. they have very few infections. two schools are still open there. but all of the others are closed. >> because there was no support from the government, he initially tried to continue in tehran. he reduced the number of students and ensured a safe distance between the workspaces. >> but things got worse. i was also afraid to come to work. it's all a bit complicated, as you know. >> there were some infections at the school. but he doesn't want to talk about that. he's worried about his students switching to the competition. for now, he's trying to get his company through the crisis with online courses. in the evening, hamid parks his taxi in front of his house. his eleven-year-old daughter is

only allowed out with a face mask to ride her bike for a bit. his wife hardly ever leaves the house. >> normally, i'd invite you into my apartment. but now with the coronavirus, my wifis very particular about safety, so we'd better stay outside. >> hamid's parents live around the corner. he hasn't visited them in months. a few words exchanged at the window is all. his parents are old and sick, he tells us. and his job is risky. >> my mother had cancer. i watch out for her safety and often argue with my sister. i tell her not to visit our parents. but she still sometimes goes to help them. someone has to do that. dr. -- >> it's a balancing act that's tearing the country and its people apart. a struggle for survival in the midst of a pandemic and sanctions. >> a rather different struggle takes place every day on the ads of sprling urbanreas arnd the wor.

long traffic jams, smog-filled citiesco2-emitti vehicles. will this go on forever? so far, the statistics offer little optimism. there are around 1.3 billion cars, motorbikes and trucks on our planet. together, they account for 16 percent of global co2 emissions. more environmentally friendly alternatives that run on electricity, hydron or bio-methane haven't made much of a break-through so far. and by mid-century, there could be aund 2 biion vehies on our ads. thailand's capital, bangkok, is notorious for its traffic. drivers often waste hours sitting in jams. but our camera team there filming for our global ideas series met some people who are driving change. >> welcome to bangkok and to endless clogged streets. the traffic crawls along if it moves at all.

most of the drivers here are commuters who live in the thai capital's quiet suburbs. issaree jitrpatima is one of the millions of such commuters. she lives in the lak si district of northern bangkok. at 7:00 a.m., she begins her journey and eats her breakfast at the wheel. it's a pattern repeated by commuters all over the city. most choose to leave early as they don't know how long they'll need to get to work. >> the traic varies om one y to the nt. some days the congestion begins , right outside my door. other days it starts somewhere , along the journey. but more or less, the entire route from my place to work is congested.

it's around 20 kilometres. -- 20 km. >> the journey takes an hour and a half. she once worked out that she wastes 32 days of her life every year stuck in traffic. not to mention the impact on the environment caused by all the exhaust fumes. monitoring stions across the city measure the air quality and deliver the results to the city authorities. officials here say particulate matter is a real problem in bangkok, as they know from personal experience. >> personally, i like to go for walks in the city. sometimes i notice that it's difficult to breathe. there are times when i get home and my eyes are watering. and sometimes when i come in the house, my family starts sneezing, as if i had brought the particulate matter with me.

>> and this is one of the worst culprits, the old diesel-powered buses that criss-cross the city. most are around 25 years old. they're popular because they're cheap to ride. they account for around one third of all journeys made in the city. but they too get stuck in traffic. around 60 percent of journeys are made by private car. that will have to change if thailand is to meet its pledge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2030. the government transport department says it's on the case. >> the first thing we have to do is build up a better public transport network. only then, once there are enough public transport options for people to use, will we start tackling the issue of private cars. if people then still insist on using their own car, they will

have to pay a charge. >> one of the main plans is to expand the elevated rapid transit system or skytrain as it's known. in 2029, the network is set to cover 500 kilometers. righnow, therain sers a relatively small number of people. only three percent of all urban joneys are me on the skytra or undergund metro system. most of the passengers are young and middle class. >> i find the skytrain is the most reliable way to travel. i need that for work. it means i can plan and know how long i need for the journey. not like the bus which sometimes , doesn't turn up or the driver refuses to let you on board.

>> i'm about to take the skytrain to siam station. it will take me 15 minutes. the same journey by taxi or car would take 40 minutes. it is so much faster. that's why ise the skytrain. >> for those who don't live near the train line, there's a relatively new service available an app that allows them to book , a tuk tuk, which will then take them to the nearest train station. the auto rickshaw is all-electric, providing a relatively quiet, emission-free journey to the skytrain. the company behind it, muvmi, has only been going three years. >> we are doing quite well. we've got some effect from the covid, but now we have recovered to the point before covid. and now we can get back to our , plan to expand to have 100

cars for this year and expand to many areas. >> like elsewhere, many people in bangkok have seen their income take a hit in the current pandemic. so the idea of introducing a toll for cars in the city is a sensitive issue. but experts advising the thai government say the experience from european cities such as london and stockholm shows it's normal for the public to oppose the idea at first. >> we use the international experience as the key to explain to thai people that for example even in sweden, before they implement it, the local people also have some doubts, also have some protest, but after the system is implemented, the people are happy about it. and from the result that they show, 90 percent of the local support the idea. >> the benefits would surely make it worthwhile, with better

air quality and quieter and less congested roads. and the income from the toll could be invested in further improving the public transport system. but in european cities too, the debate over congestion charges continued for many years before action was taken. and many western countries still don't have congestion tolls. but things in bangkok clearly can't continue as they are. the city currently has over 19 million motorized vehicles. one million of them were added last year alone. >> getting from a to b can be a struggle, especially for those with disabilities. around a billion people worldwide experience some form of disability and millions of them rely on wheelchairs to get about. but while in industrialised nations almost everybody in need , of a wheelchair has access to one, in developing countries, just 10% do. that's why wheelchair makers,

especially those who can think outside the box are in demand. >> lincoln wamae is assembling various components. he found all but one of them in junk yards. he is building wheelchai only t motorcycle shock absorber is new. >> this shock absorber goes into here. we don't have good roads here in kenya. for a normal wheelchair it will , break easily when you hit those potholes. but for this one, it does it without breaking. th spring wi absorb th imct. >> and that is exactly what his customers need. katie syokau has brittle-bone disease. she is 29 and leads an

indendent lifeespite dir prictions onhe part ofer doctors. she doesn't want to rely so much on matus, that , ivately opated mini-sses. th are usual crowded a daerous givethe risk o ronavirus ansmission. her first wheelchair came from china, the second from turkey, but keeps breing down. >> the battery which came with this wheelchr, i couldot even myself lift. so when this battery came, everyone noticed. this is a bit lighter. what happened? lincoln is heaven-sent angel. his make i saw it's not necessary for me to use a matatu wh i'm havinthe wheelchairs whh lincoln is making, ian on my own >> katie doe't have th thsand euroshat lincols

model costs but she wants to do , a test drive. it is fast and designed to cover rge distans. >> it iswesome. >> lincoln wamae is a keen cyclist and started out repairing bikes. then he started building his own cargo kes and eventually ved on to eelchairs. >> i cou see how pple with disability was strgling to get into aatatu. it really touched me and i thought of how i cou come up with a solution. and my sution is tbuild a vehicle for them. >> b first, head to lear ho >> i love watching his videos because he explains everything into detls and you understand whate means anhow things work froinside. so to he's a go teacher.

,>> provided ncoln with the owledge heeeded to start motorising his vehicles. this modest workshop is where he developed his prototypes. >>hese are deabatteries from either goodaptops or dead lapps. and these are the batteries i use to build my vehicles, especially the welchairs. my vision to see mo people going een and usg green energy. and i think the only way to do that is to set an example for other people to follow. >> lcoln wantso prove th green chnology inot just f the rich but also for poor peoplen cities a rural villag. katican hardlyait to acquire anriginal lioln wamae model. with its gater rangeshe will no longerave to be hoisted into a matatu and thereby face the risk of infection. >>'ll be vervulnerable th person, ihe or she s

covid, thameans th i'll have it beuse i'm inontact with this person. so i have to make sure my safety comes first. >> in the meantime, katie syokau contins to ride tatus, spite the sk. she has no choice if she wants to get around town. >> back in february, staying safe was a theme in milan, too. at the te, northern italy was one of the world's coronavirus hotspots and the trend-setting milan fashion week was overshadowed by a sense of unease. then, giorgio armani announced he wouldtart presenting his new collections online. since then, that's become standard practice. the pandemic has instigated a revolution ithe illurious world of fashion >> this model is showing off an evening gown designed by julien

fournié for his fall-winter collection. julien fournié is one of only 15 houses worldwide to bear the official haute couture label. but everything is different this season. even exclusive fashion is affected by the global pandemic. the new collection won't be unveiled in a runway show. instead, it's being filmed for a video that will be shown online. and that calls for a whole new approach. >> it is the -- haute couture, it's movement, it's the way light reflects on embroidery. you can film it any way you like, but it's still just a video. so today we're shooting a film , about the evolution of a haute couture collection, rather than just showing a procession of dels. i don't want to do what the other platforms are doing, flogging clothes. we're showing the genesis of a haute couture dress.

>> thiis how fouié presented his collections pre-pandemic. the shows took place several times year in glourous ttings. exquisite designs, extortionate price tags. every wn a work art. but do haute cture havany kind orelevance the conavirus er thpandemic h certainlyade designerrethink at they . >> the problem with fashion is that it's a hamster wheel. you hardly have time to enjoy one collection before you have to start on the next. you can lose your sense of joy. >> fashion is a fast-moving merry-go-ground. non-stop rway shows,ostling crowdsbuyers a journalts who jet around the world so they never miss the latest sensation. more and more collections, increased production, increased demand. the surface gloss of high fashion hides so ugly trut.

>> there is a madness the world of fashion. it is a lunatic traveling circus. there is an international calendar. new york, paris, london, milan. in january, there are the haute couture shows, the menswear collections and in march, prêt à porter. >> the fast pace of fashion. but in paris at least, change is underway. the capital of high fashion is looking to reinvent itself as the capital of sustainable fashion. isabelle lefort is co-founder of paris good fashion, an industry association that aims to make fashion more ethical. responsible sourcing and responsible consumption are the cornerstones of its agenda. >> the coronavirus crisis has accelerated the movement. we need to do more to slow down the cycle of shows as well as production practices. we have to stop sourcing and

producing on the cheap all over the world. we should produce more locally here in france and across europe. >> as always the devil is in the , detail. >> that is better. >> lutz huelle from germany has lived in paris for nearly 25 years. he has his own label and designs prêt à porter fashion factory-made but still high quality. most of his business is in asia. his collections are intended to outlast a season and become wardrobe staples. the pandemic has had an impact on his approach too. for months, he had to deal with a fabric shortage. so he began recycling menswear. >> we started with a long sweatshirt. we altered the back. we had no fabric.

when i started making clothes again, i really had to think, how do we want to dress now? after everything that's happened, nothing can be the same again. it all needs to be simpler. >> for n, julien frnié h suended his ute coutur