Rivers play a crucial role in shaping our landscape and society: as sources of freshwater, routes for transport and trade, lifelines for agriculture and energy … They connect ecosystems, cultures, and economies across the globe. In short, rivers matter, in more ways than we often realize. Here are a few surprising facts that highlight just how fascinating rivers can be.
Did you know that the Amazon used to flow westward?
Geologists today agree that an ancient version of the Amazon River once flowed westward, from the proto-Congo River system present in Gondwana, the supercontinent once linking Africa and South America. Gondwana started breaking apart around 150 million years ago. Fifteen million years ago, the Andes were formed by the collision of the South American plate with the Nazca plate. Suddenly, the ancient river had a massive barrier, resulting in widespread flooding of the area, which gradually turned into inland sea, then a freshwater marsh or swampy lake. Around 4 million years later, the waters of this wetland had worked through the sandstone sediments of the area until the river system finally started flowing east, as it still does today.
Did you know that the Wanganui River is recognised as a legal person?
In 2017, New Zealand granted the Whanganui River the legal rights of a person, recognizing it as a living entity, granting it rights and responsibilities similar to a human being. This groundbreaking decision was deeply rooted in the Māori worldview, which sees the river as an ancestor and an indivisible, living whole. The law established a unique guardianship model, where one representative from the Māori community and one from the government jointly act on behalf of the river, ensuring its health and well-being are protected.
Did you know that 15% of all electricity comes from hydropower? Which makes it the largest source of renewable electricity today.
As of 2022, rivers worldwide generated approximately 4,250 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity through hydropower. This accounts for about 15% of global electricity production and nearly half of all renewable electricity generated. Making it the largest source of renewable electricity and the third largest source of all electricity, behind Coal and Gas However hydropower often disrupts the natural flow of the river and impacting the ecosystem. Not to mention the challenges hydropower face regarding climate-driven droughts.
What does Join For Water do to protect and enhance the role of rivers and other freshwater ecosystems? You can read it on the page ‘Environmental management for healthy water supplies’.