Main content

Cleaning up Chernobyl and Canada鈥檚 war in the woods

The story of the people who cleaned up after the world鈥檚 worst nuclear accident and Canada鈥檚 largest act of civil disobedience.

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the 麻豆社 World Service.

On the 40th anniversary of the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl, we hear from one man involved in the clean-up operation.

Our guest is Jordan Dunbar, presenter of the 麻豆社 documentary 鈥楾he Last Dance Floor in Chernobyl鈥�.

Next, we hear about the worst floods in 50 years that the Mexican state of Tabasco experienced and the race to save thousands of animals in Paraguay and Brazil in 1982.

Plus, the unexpected drought in the Danube River in 2011 and when Canada saw their largest ever campaign of civil disobedience in 1993 to save a rainforest.

In our episode of Sporting Witness, the tale of the 1981 film 鈥楨scape to Victory鈥�.

Contributors:

Yur褨y Skaletskyy 鈥� former radiological officer in Soviet Union military

Jordan Dunbar 鈥� 麻豆社 presenter

Marco Franco 鈥� emergency co-ordinator for the Red Cross in Mexico

Dario Perez Chena 鈥� rescue worker in the Mymba Kuera operation

Kristian Yakimov - an ecologist and tourist guide in Bulgaria

Tzeporah Berman 鈥� environmental activist in Canada

(Photo: Chernobyl in the aftermath of the explosion in 1986. Credit: SHONE/GAMMA/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

Available now

1 hour, 1 minute

Featured

  • .

Broadcasts

  • Sat 25 Apr 2026 13:06GMT
  • Mon 27 Apr 2026 09:06GMT
  • Mon 27 Apr 2026 23:06GMT

Podcast