Why are Rivers Important?
Rivers in general embody many values. For example, rivers symbolize connections, since they touch everyone, and everybody in principle lives downstream. Rivers also symbolize human health, since fresh water from rivers is essential to our communities and ourselves. Another value embodied by habitat, protecting freshwater ecosystems for fish and wildlife. Rivers are also major destinations for recreation by communities. Fishermen fish in rivers, and other recreative activities such as boating, wildlife-watchers, sports and other leisure activities also take place along rivers. What we fail to see sometimes is that throughout a river’s course, human activities have a significant impact on rivers. For example, pollution is increasingly becoming a major problem, where the economy and traditions are affected by polluted water. Environmental Problems of Rivers Rivers are indeed facing a number of environmental problems. This is despite the fact that more than half of potable water comes from
