óçóç host: welcome to “global 3000”" steady nerves -- a spirited german fighter conquers the ring in mexico. healthy hearts -- in rwanda, an app aims to make people fitter. and building instead of toking -- could hemp be the sustainable raw material of the future? one plant, many names -- hemp, cannabis, marijuana, ganja,

weed. cannabis sativa contains a chemical compound, thc for short, which is one of the world's oldest-known intoxicants. in most countries, selling cannabis is a criminal offence. it's had a bad image for decades. hemp is a type of cannabis with low levels of thc. a valuable, sustainable resource, it can be used to produce medicine, paper, building materials, and textiles. we find out more about the comeback of this “miracle plant.” reporter: hemp has been one of the most widely grown crops in history. and not because of its intoxicating effect. hemp was a source of food for animals and humans for thousands of years. hemp cultivation began 12,000 years ago in china. from there, it spread across the globe. seafarers used the sturdy hemp

fibers to make rope and sails. and wherever they travelled, they brought the seeds with them. after wood, hemp was the second most common material found on ships. its blossoms were used medicinally, spiritually, or simply for pleasure. but reliance on hemp waned. new technologies made it easier to turn tton into textiles than hemp. wood supplanted hemp in paper manufacturing. even hemp sails and rope were placed with petroleum products. but what really killed the plant was something else. steffen: there was a zeitgeist for banning the substance use of recreational drugs. maren: we've hammered it down into humanity's head that this is an illegal and massively bad plant. reporter: but scientists are slowly discovering that hemp is far more versatile than previously known. both traditional and new uses

could help clean up a lot of industries. a big one is construction, which accounts for almost 40% of all co2 emissions worldwide. using hemp might change that. hemp wool is already available as an insulating material. but more and more sustainable builders are using hemp fibers, or “hempcrete,” in walls and floors, such as in this 12-story building in south africa. hempcrete is basically a mixture of lime and hemp fibers, or “shives.” the lime petrifies the hemp so it doesn't decompose or break. the material is lightweight, strong, and breathable, so it better regulates moisture and temperature. the advantages are less energy consumption, no mold buildup, and a non-toxic environment. hempcrete is also fire resistant and can withstand major earthquakes, thanks to

its flexibility. it also protects against heat, moisture, and sound. once a structure built with it is demolished, the hempcrete can be recycled into fertilizer, as it's completely organic. walls made of hempcrete not only produce less carbon dioxide than those of concrete. they're even co2 negative, as hempcrete stores more carbon dioxide than is needed to produce and transport it. mark: hemp fiber insulation stores on the net base more than 50 kilograms of carbon dioxide per cubic meter of hemp insulation. for your reference, the production of glass wool or rock wall insulation emits over 250 kilograms of carbon dioxide. reporter: but there's still a problem -- in most countries, introducing new building materials is a complex and lengthy process. mandatory tests and application procedures can take years. hempcrete is only at the start of that process in many

countries. maren: we need to give it a new chance and stop putting all these regulations on hemp. we need to free this up entirely for the industries to really move forward. because if, you know, 0.01% of thc are the little things that prevents somebody in the building industry to get shives or juice and herds for their building material, then this industry has no way of moving forward. reporter: hemp can also help save the world's forests. until the late 19th century, most paper was hemp-based. early bibles and even drafts of the american declaration of independence were written on it. but most paper today is wood fiber. and that contributes to derestation. every year, woodland the size of portugal is cut down, and 15% of it is used to make paper. glob demand isxpected at ast double- a catastphe

for the world's forests. but as timber prices rise, some companies have switched to hemp-paper production. mark: the textile industry is a little bit the holy grail, the champions league for any fiber reporter: and it's a big polluter -- growing cotton requires lots of pesticides and water. a single hectare of hemp can yield 2.5 times more fiber than one of cotton. and a hemp plant can grow up to five meters in just three-to-five months. hemp is not only environmentally friendlier than cotton, its strong fibers also make textiles more durable. the benefits may be obvious, but there's a catch. mark: if you want to be successful implementing hemp fiber into the textile industry, we have to modify the hemp fiber to the existing textile machinery.

cause e other way around is not going to happen. because the investments to do so are just too high. reporter: companies and researchers are working on the problem. and there are initial chemical and mechanical processes to make the environmentally friendly hemp fibers more like cotton, so that they can be integrated into existing production. but there are no industry-wide standards yet -- hemp in textile production is in the early stages. hemp has to contend with roadblocks in many industries. there are no standards yet, due to decades of neglect in research and development. regulations are still confusing, and they vary from country to country. marijuana's status as a controlled substance discourages investors. but despite the challenges, interest in industrial hemp is growing. in 2021, demand reached a market value of $4 billion. that figure is expected to rise to as much as $17 billion by 2030. host:

cardiovascular diseases are among the most common illnesses worldwide. they are responsible for the deaths of just under 18 million men and women each year -- that's nearly a third of all deaths. and estimates suggest that by 2030, as many as 23 million people will die each year from cardiovascular causes. the risk of developing heart and blood-vessel-related diseases traditionally rises with age. but ever more younger people are now becoming affected. causes include stress, an unhealthy diet, not enough exercise, and smoking. at least three quarters of cardiovascular deaths worldwide occur in low- and middle-income countries -- that's due to poorer health care and late detection. in the east african country of rwanda, there's hope of change.

peace: they call them the silent killers. and they are killing a big number of people worldwide. in rwanda, six out of 10 deaths are being caused by either diabetes or hypertension. reporter: peace iraguha has declared war on lifestyle diseases. the 25-year-old dietitian keeps an eye on where people in her generation are going wrong when it comes to health. peace: it's not just rwanda, it's the whole of africa. the more development, also the sedentary lifestyle grows. so there are more white-collar jobs, people sit for the whole day, and then, now we have more fast food. reporter: these risk factors promote certain kinds of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes -- a rapidly growing problem in sub-saharan africa. what's especially worrying is that more and more young people

are dying of these illnesses, according to the world health organization. peace: people feel like they're safe and they usually get to know when it's too late. for example, for lifestyle diseases, we don't have regular checkups. you'd meet 40-year-olds and they've never done a checkup in their whole life. reporter: peace iraguha, her co-founder stephen ogweno, and a small team in rwanda's capital, kigali, have developed an app to raise awareness. they hope to motivate young adults in particular to change their ways and lead a healthier lifestyle. peace: in the lifesten app, you can train to be healthy and also get rewarded for it. we create challenges. the more you engage in those challenges, the more points you collect, and these points can be redeemed through our partners. reporter: the app rewards users' diet,

exercise, and relaxation efforts with points and prizes. this helps users learn healthier routines in a playful way. international diet and fitness trackers already exist, but they haven't had much success in rwanda. the lifesten app is not only in english and french, but also in the local language, kinyarwanda. peace: the solutions need to be home-based. we know the problem, we know the burden. we've lived with it. and my people will likely understand what i bring. so it's really easier to achieve behavior change if it's coming from someone from their communities. reporter: that's why the start-up works with local partners where app users can redeem points they've earned. peace iraguha wants to find out if her nutrition courses would be a good reward for her partner, kuishi smart. peace: we're trying to see something that will attract more people to use these kind of services.

it needs to be appealing to the user. it needs to be fun. patient: our body needs what we call energy. so, most of the time you can get your energy from three sources. the first source we call carbohydrate food sources. for example, it would be like a bread. peace: it's difficult to find this type of partner in rwanda, and the main reason is that we don't have many businesses in the preventive sector. the ones we have are more on the curati and manement for people who are already sick. reporter: but that's changing. the rwandan government hopes to reduce mortality from non-communicable diseases 25% by 2025, and it plans to use unconventional methods to achieve that goal by making the streets of kigali car-free on two sundays every month. it's urging residents to use the quiet streets for exercise. peace iraguha hopes that her recently launched app will soon

be used by lots of people in rwanda. she herself already has her eyes set on the next reward. peace: i jogged for 20 minutes and i got around 700 lifesten points. so i can get a 20% discount for a massage. host: another disease which has claimed millions of lives in the last three years is of course covid-19. the pandemic hit brazil particularly hard. with hundreds of thousands of deaths, brazil was the second worst-affected country after the u.s. and as well as health issues, many people took economic knocks, too -- something many are still struggling with. reporter: for more than a year, kádina bastos hardly dared to go out on the street. she was too worried about contracting covid-19 again.

all of her bones still ache. she suffers from dizziness and has fallen over several times. even before the pandemic, her life in the vila aliança favela in rio de janeiro was not easy. but after she contracted covid-19, her situation worsened. she could no longer pay for her rented apartment and now lives in her sewing studio. she used to teach nearly a dozen women how to sew. she also sold her wares at markets. but the virus robbed her of all her strength. kádina: a lot of people have died from covid here. so i isolated myself. i was afraid to go out on the street. i've never felt so sick. i have trouble concentrating. i used to take part in online meetings and also gave online classes. now i don't have the stamina. i'm just overcome by terrible fatigue. reporter:

her neighbors help her, but she has to survive without financial support from the state. acupuncture treatments on her ears help her to cope with the stress. >> how are your anxiety levels? kádina: i'm doing better. i'm not waking up all the time at night anymore. during the pandemic, the poor helped the poor. the state left us to fend for ourselves. in some places there is no water or sanitation. where are you supposed to wash your hands? it's going to be hard for rio de janeiro to recover, and for us here -- people at the end of the world, so to speak -- it's going to be even harder. reporter: brazil is one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic. nearly 700,000 people have died from covid-19 here so far. former president jair bolsonaro downplayed the dangers of the

coronavirus, was late to order vaccines, and mocked victims with breathing difficulties. there was a lack of oxygen and ventilators, and the health care system was on the verge of collapse. in rio de janeiro at least, a state-of-the-art covid hospital was quickly built, with 200 intensive care beds. dr. veloso: the general situation was terrible because not all patients could be treated. there were long lines of patients in the emergency rooms. and unfortunately, we had a president who did not respect the suffering of families. he worked against quarantine regulations, social distancing, and mask-wearing rules. there was a disrespect for science and research. the crisis in brazil did not have to be on this scale. many deaths could have been avoided. reporter:

the infectious disease specialist hopes the incoming brazilian government will make better use of the scientific knowledge gained during the pandemic, especially in the event of another. dr. veloso: you need a network of hospitals and institutions that are prepared and can respond quickly. there were moments during the pandemic when the number of infections dropped. so, we had fewer covid patients and instead we had other patients. then we reduced staff numbers. with the next wave, we made more beds available for covid patients and hired more staff. that's how you build resilience. and that's very important. institutions need to be resilient. reporter: resilience is also the most important thing for kádina

bastos on the outskirts of rio. just like the women in her sewing group, she would like nothing more than to sell her own creations at markets again and to teach the craft in courses. >> will the lessons continue? >> i also miss them. reporter: but before she can continue, she first has to get better. she has been waiting for an appointment with an orthopedist and specialist treatment for her pain in the public healthcare system for months. she does not want to rely on prayer alone. she expects the state to play its part. kádina: access to health care, dignified treatment, so that everyone can recover fully and get back to work.

there is nothing more important now than to restore our self-confidence and our dignity. to know that we are still here and can be productive again. that we can have dignified work like we had before. reporter: people living in poverty like kádina bastos have gotten through the pandemic by helping one another. and like many of her neighbors, she hopes the new government taking office in january will handle the pandemic, and its consequences, more responsibly. host: abuse, rape, murder. mexico can be a dangerous place for many women and girls. in 2021, more than 3700 women were reported to have been killed there. and that's likely a very conservative figure. for many, the solution is resistance and self-defense. reporter: this is where kathrin zeiske is

happiest -- in the ring, throwing her opponent to the ground. she the only german female wrestler competing in mexico's national sport, lucha libre. the town ciudad juárez is on the u.s./mexican border, a stopover for thousands of migrants hoping to maka future in the u.s. it's notorious for drugs and violence. kathrin zeiske has made it her home. it's late morning, time to get ready for the title bout in lucha libre. with the help of make-up and a costume, kathrin zeiske transforms into miss kath. kathrin: this is the most important bit, my new outfit. i have boots, tights. and here's my all-important license to kill. reporter: her partner is a star of the wrestling scene. she met him while travelling, having left her native bonn to explore the wider world.

wrestling is a shared passion. ciudad juárez is one of the most dangerous cities in the world. lucha libre is traditionally a male-dominated sport. kathrin zeiske sees her involvement in it as a feminist act. kathrin: in this crazy city which is notorious for femicides, i hope that by doing this, i can help women gain self-confidence and inspire them to do it too. reporter: as a german, she wasn't taken seriously at first. but now, young people want a selfie with her. lucha libre is popular, providing distraction from the stress of daily life. the wrestlers are treated like stars. kathrin: more than anything else, it's lucha libre that has made me feel mexican, because it's part of popular culture. every child here knows the masks, every child knows the moves. reporter: and everyone knows her as miss

kath. she represents strength and power. her first opponent is waiting for her. miss kath and universis are friends outside the ring, but you wouldn't know that inside it. the masks and costumes are intended to intimidate opponents. kathrin zeiske has fought in many towns here, but she loves the small arenas best of all. kathrin: today i have to say, nothing makes me happier than when i'm fighting in a ring and i see enthusiastic families and people having fun, swearing at the top of their lungs. reporter: legend has it that ciudad juárez was where such show fights originated. since kathrin zeiske can't support herself from wrestling alone, she also works as a freelance journalist, writing about the city she lives in. ciudad juárez can tell us a lot about how the world works.

there are factories making cheap products for the u.s. market. and migrants hoping for a better life there. in her reporting, she focuses on their struggles. kathrin: in germany you can live in a bubble, and not see the bigger picture. how is my life and my consumption connected with what happens elsewhere? here you can see a bosch factory, and then this notorious wall. and it's all here, right in front of your nose. reporter: she and her friends are fighting to change their city, step by step. together they bought an old property, renovated it, and set it up as a cultural center. it's now a meeting point for social groups, environmental activists, and artists. in the cellar, cycling enthusiasts assemble bikes from donated parts. they give the finished bikes to migrants, so that they can get around. lisbeth: there are very few cultural places here in juarez, so this makes a big difference. reporter:

the city has a hard edge, but there's beauty too, especially for the people who manage to live full lives despite the criminality. kathrin: it's important to me that there are places like this. where you can be together without much money, and without having to think about earning money. it's just about the wellbeing of everyone. reporter: lucha libre is still the most important part of her life. she enjoys even the most strenuous training sessions. today, she's training with universis. wrestling has changed her life, too, offering her a way to cope with family problems. she can leave her aggression in the ring. she, too, wants to inspire others and prove that anything is possible. universis: there's a lot of violence against women happening at the moment. in the ring we show girls and women that they can defend themselves. push yourselves, there's a way

out. reporter: we've reached the title round. but suddenly, miss kath is thrown out of the ring. another contestant has won. kathrin: i would have loved to take the championship title home with me. but it's often like this, a split-second proves decisive. anything can happen. reporter: but what she's learned from lucha libre and ciudad juárez, get up and keep going. failure is part of the process. kathrin: lucha libre is a huge form of cultural expression. it's also an opportunity, a prospect for young women and young men of modest means who think to themselves, i could become a lucha star. on weekends, i could also put on make-up, become a star, stand in the ring and then pack

up and go home. host: and that's all from us all at “global 3000” this time. write to us at global3000@dw.com, or on facebook, dw global ideas. see you next time. ♪ [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

>> tonight, after being trapped 100 hours, a woman is rescued from earthquake rubble. she was pulled out alive today, days after earthquakes flattened departs of turkey and syria. the death toll is approaching 23