Rivers - Vital, Beautiful and Abused
The Taj Mahal on the banks of the Yamuna River, India
Anchored in the Thames estuary, Marlow began his tale of another estuary and a journey up an African river into the ‘heart of darkness.’ This story became the basis of the movie Apocalypse Now. Caesar crossed the Rubicon; Achilles was dipped in the River Styx and the ferryman had to be paid to cross the same river before entering the underworld. The Indus, Sutlej, Brahmaputra and Ganga all are central to the cultures and myths of the Indian subcontinent, and all have Mt Khailash as their source. Needless to say, Mt Khailash is a holy mountain.
Mt Khailash. Image by Yasunori Koide - Wikipedia Commons
Its rain-forests provide 20 percent of our oxygen
The Yangtze has been an artery of travel into the hinterland of China for hundreds, if not thousands of years and has played a central part in China’s history, economy and culture. The Amazon is the most powerful river on earth, pumping 209 000 m3 of water into the Atlantic every second. Its rain-forests provide 20 percent of our oxygen. The quest for the source of the Nile lead to grand adventures in East Africa that enthralled Victorians, particularly in view of the fact that they were in awe of the great civilisation of ancient Egypt. Yearly flooding of the Nile provided water and fertile silt which allowed for agricultural excesses which then made finances available to support architects, builders and craftsmen which had its ultimate expression in the construction of the pyramids.
Steamers on the Mississippi - Wikipedia Commons
Mesopotamia's hanging gardens of Babylon fascinate us still, and are referenced in the Bible and 1970s dance bands. The Rhine formed a massive barrier to Roman expansion into Germania, and a massive barrier to advancing Allied armies during WWII. The Mississippi provided access to the great American hinterland and the unique cultures of New Orleans, and the tales of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Steamboats plied the great waterways, providing the stage for great adventurers. Paris has its origins on an island on the Seine, and the river is central to culture and life of Parisians.
Major cities have influenced all our lives – London, Paris and Rome
Clearly then, rivers have been central to our civilisation. Settlements have sprung up along them which grew into major cities that have influenced all our lives – London, Paris and Rome being immediate examples that spring to mind. They have provided water and food, irrigation, navigation and recreation. They are in essence, life sustaining.
It is biologically dead and a conduit of toxins
In spite of our dependence on rivers, we continue to abuse these ribbons of life. In the industrial revolution, they became the means to move materials and coal in and out of the industrial heartlands. However they also became the sumps for the waste products from those industrial processes and the de facto sewer disposal systems for the new cities that were springing up around the centres of industry. To this day, the Emscher is the cloaca of the Ruhr, Germany’s huge industrial region, and is biologically dead and a conduit of toxins. The Yamuna River in India is no longer the languid beautiful river that flows past Delhi’s Red Fort and the Taj Mahal, but a contaminated water course full of toxic chemicals and untreated sewerage.
Atlantic Salmon
Atlantic salmon, absent for 150 years, are now returning
By their very nature rivers collect everything that flows downhill – chemicals, sewerage, garbage and industrial waste, and once collected that same debris load is then carried very efficiently down to our oceans. Then there is the wanton dumping of garbage into rivers, and of course the deliberate routing of pipelines into water courses. This, in the 18th and 19th century, led to the death of many rivers in Europe but now there is a concerted effort to clean things up and the enforcement of legislation. Atlantic salmon, absent for 150 years, are now returning to those once degraded river systems – rewilded and restored. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of some rivers in the developing world where environmental laws are routinely flouted, if they exist at all.
They have no choice but to rely on the local rivers
In poorer communities, people have no choice but to rely on the local rivers for their domestic needs. However, these practices come with their own sets of challenges. Women will wash clothes in a stream, whilst downstream water is collected for drinking and domestic use. Geese, ducks, cows and pigs wallow and defecate in these river courses, and all sorts of garbage finds its way there too.
Fast flowing mountain river
Rivers are arguably the most dynamic processes
The study of river systems requires a multi-dimensional and multi-disciplinary approach. From a geomorphological point of view, we need to look at them in terms of their morphology and hydraulics – from youthful, through maturity to old age. Meanders, interlocking spurs, V shaped valleys, drainage patterns, levees, estuaries and deltas are all the result of river action. Rivers are arguably the most dynamic processes when it comes the sculpting of our landscapes, not only in terms of erosion, but also of deposition.
We have a special treat
As part of Rock and Sky’s commitment to bring real life examples and adventure into the classroom, we take a close look at actual rivers, including some of the most iconic ones such as the Zambezi with its awe-inspiring Victoria Falls, or the Iguaçu Falls on the river of the same name. And we have a special treat which no one else is doing in terms of teaching hydraulics and sediment transportation. If you want to find out more about the this, then you will need to sign up for our newsletter.
Rock and Sky Facebook group
We are also always adding new material to the Rock and Sky Facebook group, so please join that. It is early days there, but joining the group adds value for us all, especially when we start to contribute and exchange ideas and feedback.
