The importance of the rivers and its main threats

Importance in general for people:

food, energy, recreation, transportation routes, and of course water for irrigation and for drinking

Importance of the rivers

Water: carries nutrients, gases, organisms to new areas. Drains water from land. Plants and trees: presence of rivers enables life to many rare species Animals: rivers are habitats to many mammals, insects and fish. Rivers serve as source of water for drinking and also as source of food (catching fish etc)

Importance of the rivers

Transportation: Rivers provides a cheap and clean mean of transportation Farming: River valleys provide fertile soil (rivers deltas and flood plains are very rich in nutrients). Farmers in dry regions use irrigation ditches to carry water to their fields. Energy: Rivers are a cheap and clean source of energy. (presence: water turbines to make electricity, past: mills, machines to power factories)

Importance of the rivers

Forming the land: via erosion of rocks and soil and finding new path for itself the rivers are forming the landscape Forming floodplains: many cities are build on floodplains, some agriculture systems are build on yearly floods Prevention of floods: the state of rivers (if theyre regulated or not) has an important impact on the intensity of flood water

Main threats:
1)Pollution: sources : agriculture (pesticides and fertilizer-> cause algae to grow-> algae kills water plants/ animals), factories (chemicals and warmth), people (bottles, packets) Results: death of plants and animals, carrying disease, bad smell, 2) erosion of river beds, 3) unsuitable plants;- water carries soil out from the field, water drains down the hill and dont get soaked into the soil

Main threats:
4) regulation-narrowing the river beds- in case of floods it is better to have meanders (curves), which make the river flow slower and the flood water doesnt cause such bad damage 5) decreasing amount of riparian forests- riparian forest are soaked with water and therefore help nature to retain/hold water 6) building dams + unsuitable building interventions- often lead to extinction of rare species, destroys the unique character of nature