World Rivers Day Highlights The LIFE Of The Globe!
World Rivers Day encourages cooperation among governments, environmental organizations, community groups, and individuals to work together in protecting and restoring rivers while serving as a reminder of the crucial role that rivers play in our ecosystem and in sustaining life on Earth. Today on World River Day we highlight the numerous facts of rivers, works to raise public awareness, and promotes improved management of all rivers worldwide. There are several challenges facing rivers in almost every nation, and the only way we can secure their continued health is by taking proactive measures.
Fascinating River Statistics
- The Nile River is usually acknowledged as the longest river in the world. It is located in north Africa, covers 11 nations, and spans a massive 6,695 km—equivalent to 65,000 football fields!
- The vast 6,840 km of the Amazon River, which flows through South American mountains and rain forests, are a close second, according to the majority of scientists!
- Amazon is also the river that flows the fastest on Earth. By the way, at a depth of around 2.5 miles (4 km), there is an underground river beneath Amazon. It is 100 times broader yet similar in length.
- The shortest river in the world is only 118 feet (36 meters) long. Its name is D River, and it can be found in Oregon, in the United States.
- Russia is traversed by the Pyana, the world’s most meandering river. In a straight line, the distance from the source to the mouth is not more than 16.6 miles (30 km), however because of the riverbed’s bends, the length of Pyana is 250 miles (400 km).The left and right banks of the Ural, a different Russian river that separates Europe from Asia, are in different regions of the world.
- Unknown factors cause a significant frequency of lightning strikes to occur along Venezuela’s Catatumbo River. Its mouth experiences up to 450,000 lightning hits per year, which is a true phenomena.
with the history of observations, the Nile River, which flows through Africa, was frozen and covered with ice twice. - The Indian river Kosi paves a new riverbed each year during the rainy season by destroying everything in its path.
- With a length of 1569 miles, it is the longest river in India and the third-largest river in the world by discharge. It is revered as the Goddess Ganga and is considered to be the most sacred river in Hinduism.
- The Congo River is the only one to do so twice.
- Every year, roughly 16 billion tons of rocks and debris are carried into the seas and oceans by rivers around the world.
- The Atlantic receives more rivers than any other body of water. Rivers can come in a variety of hues, not simply the typical blue, clear, or muddy brown. The water of “blackwater rivers,” which are found in bogs and wetlands, resembles strong black tea. The aquatic vegetation of Cao Cristales, also known as the “River of Five Colors” in Colombia, cause the waters to gush with brilliant shades of blue, red, black, yellow, and green!
Major Challenges
- Alterations in water flow
- Changes to the channel form
- wider range of new harmful substances
- the overuse of resources
- reduction of habitat
- Water toxicity
- weak flow
- Rivers are most at risk from large dams, canal diversion, hydropower projects, and pollution.
- Drought and flooding can have terrible effects on both people and animals.
- Water pollution and flooding can be reduced with careful environmental management.
The 1997 United Nations Convention on Non-Navigational Uses of transnational Watercourses is one significant document that primarily focuses on shared water resources and is used to manage transnational rivers. In relation to shared watercourses, it established two guiding principles: “equitable and reasonable use” and “the obligation not to cause significant harm” to neighbors. The notion of equitable and appropriate utilisation and participation, which is generally regarded as the Convention’s cornerstone, is reflected in Part II’s Article 5. It mandates that a State use an international watercourse that it shares with other States in its territory in a fair and reasonable way in comparison to those other States. Article 7 (Obligation not to inflict crucial Harm) of the Convention is another crucial clause. States must “take all appropriate measures to prevent the causing of significant harm” to other States that share an international watercourse, according to this article.
For every country, rivers are a priceless gift from nature. All rivers have an impact on our daily lives, either directly or indirectly, because they can serve as sources of water for fishing, farming, and entertainment, as well as a fun way of transportation for both. We must safeguard and conserve this natural abundance if we are to profit from our rivers responsibly.