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Pascale Harter introduces dispatches from writers and reporters in Bangladesh, Morocco, Iraq and Latvia.

Rivers and the sea have long battered waterfront villages in Bangladesh, but their troubles are now intensified by climate change. Many people have already had to rebuild their lives several times over, as farmland is eroded and their homes crumble. Qasa Alom went to meet some of the people who’ve had to restart in new places, and meets locals working on a solution to provide a permanent sanctuary.

Morocco was once home to a thriving Jewish community, who began an exodus from the country in the 1950s, as relations worsened between the Arab world and Israel. The community has now dwindled, but the links between Morocco and Israel are still there – and growing closer, with diplomatic relations and direct flights now restored. This has encouraged some locals in Essaouira to reach out to Israelis, and Jews elsewhere, who have family ties to the historic port city. Elizabeth Gowing found herself wondering whether tensions of the recent past can really be replaced by fonder memories of longer shared history.

The government of Iraq is building more prisons to cope with huge over-crowding - the system straining at what's thought to be three times its official capacity. Conditions inside are often filthy and unhealthy, but better buildings will not address the deep-rooted issues affecting the country's justice system. Shelly Kittleson has seen the Iraqi justice system at work, and tells the story of one recently-released prisoner.

Like many nations – but particularly those which were once part of the Soviet Union – Latvia is walking a tightrope as it tries to judge the best way to deal with Vladimir Putin’s Russia. In Riga, Beth Timmins recently explored Latvian memories and opinions of the Soviet era – and public feeling about today’s relations with the giant next door.

Producer: Polly Hope
Production Co-Ordinator: Gemma Ashman