BBC OS Conversations: The floods in Brazil

For three years a brutal civil war has been raging in Sudan. Hundreds of thousands have been killed. Millions have been forced from their homes. But the war has other hidden costs – particularly for the young. It’s estimated that 60% of the population is under 25, and millions ha ...  Show more

The personal correspondence, photographs and papers of the late convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein have been released to the public in stages, beginning in December 2025, after an almost unanimous vote in the US Senate. The released files run to three and a half ...  Show more

Half of the world’s river systems host hydro-electric dams. They offer reliable electricity but their construction forces people from their homes and disrupts the natural life of the river.Scores of dams already span the Mekong River, the great waterway linking China to Vietnam. ...  Show more

In April, the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal experienced a period of heavy rainfall. It caused flooding that killed more than 400 people. Many are still unaccounted for and tens of thousands were made homeless. In recent days, the rains have returned putting more people ...  Show more

It’s been more than two weeks since devastating floods swept away large parts of the city of Derna. The government in the east of the country says more than 4000 people lost their lives in the disaster, although this number remains disputed. Many more thousands of people are stil ...  Show more

Sponge cities use natural features to slow down, soak up and reuse flood water. Yu Kongjian nearly drowned as a boy when his village flooded, but it inspired him to come up with the sponge city concept. It’s now being rolled out across China. In Singapore too, parks and lakes are ...  Show more