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Lockdowns across the world have grounded flights and shut down factories. But as countries battle the coronavirus pandemic and prepare for an impending economic recession, we are also witnessing one of the largest carbon crashes ever recorded. People across the world are talking about and sharing pictures on social media of azure blue skies, fresh air, clean water and even rare wildlife sightings within human settlements.

But environmentalists warn all this may be temporary, as economic recovery would get prioritized before the environment in a post-pandemic world.

So, are there lessons the pandemic can teach us about living with nature? And will countries go for greener policies as they rebuild their economies?

In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we bring in guests from China, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India to discuss what the lockdown has meant for some of Asia’s – and the world’s – most polluted places.

Presenter: Devina Gupta

Contributors: Sunita Narain, director general, Centre for Science and Environment, India; Ahmad Rafay Alam, environment lawyer, Pakistan; Shababa Haque, senior research associate, International Centre for Climate Change and Development, Bangladesh; Yifei Li, assistant professor of environmental studies, New York University Shanghai, China