Global Us: What connects us all

South Africa's small-scale fishermen are fighting for survival. Big companies dominate the industry and fish stocks are in decline. Now the Abalobi app connects fishers directly with the consumers, also creating a market for local fish species.

Pangolins are the most trafficked mammals in the world. Their meat is a prized delicacy, while their scales are used in traditional medicine. Traffickers are now targeting Africa – where the animals are already an endangered species.

Fishing is crucial to the livelihoods of people on Tunisia’s coast. Overfishing is a growing problem, especially due to trawlers. Their nets also pick up sharks, rays and other endangered species. The Med Bycatch Project wants to see sustainable fishing.

Burning crop residue in sugarcane fields is a common and harmful practice among farmers in Ghana. Climate change and insufficient rainfall add to the problem. Audrey S-Darko is helping farmers improve their harvests and benefit the environment.

There’s a constant stream of carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere. The main reason is humans burning fossil fuels such as oil, coal or gas – primarily for heat and electricity. Some scientists say climate change can only be curbed by removing CO2 from the atmosphere and storing it underground.

Around 70% of India's annual rainfall comes in the four-month monsoon season. Climate change is also having an impact on this natural phenomenon, making weather increasingly unpredictable. A new monsoon forecast system will enable farmers to plan ahead — and hopefully reap superior harvests.

Conventional air conditioning units are energy guzzlers and contribute to global warming. Yet the hotter it gets, the more we use them. It's a vicious circle. Now Singapore is developing innovative green solutions to keep people cool.

Chile has lots of solar energy and now has a way of storing it. An innovative new facility in the Atacama Desert can store the power for up to 17 hours a day. Now there are also plans to convert coal-fired plants into thermal storage facilities.

The seagrass meadows around the Maldives are under threat. But the government now plans to place this valuable ecosystem under protection. As well as serving as nurseries for sea life, they act as carbon sinks and protect the atolls from erosion.

This week's Global Snack comes from southern Mexico. A local specialty known as garnachas is comprised of small corn tortillas with delicious toppings - a nutritious and tasty snack, spiced up with a generous portion of chili.