River basin

A river’s flow is its heartbeat. Freshwater plants and animals have evolved with, and intimately depend upon, natural patterns of hydrological variability. Healthy rivers have both an unobstructed linear flow – materials can flow downstream, fish can migrate upstream – and also a lateral flow that allows high waters to spread into floodplains, nourishing the...

Mekong River Basin Map

Often, I have heard the question: How many rivers there are in the world? The answer is complicated, as I doubt anyone has actually done the count, but it must be tens of thousands. Furthermore, there is a blurry distinction between a river and a stream. I faced a similar problem, for pragmatic purposes, when

Ganga river in India

Ongoing drought - and increasing temperatures - have reduced water flow in the Colorado River, with more dramatic reductions expected. This ongoing, unprecedented event threatens water supplies in cities in the U.S. West and some of the most productive agricultural lands anywhere in the world.

Some features of a river and its basin, such as branches and valleys, occur several times in its course. As it approaches its mouth, the river becomes wider and tends to flow more slowly.

If gongs were handed out for the most beautiful cities on the planet then Luang Prabang would be fighting out with heavyweights such as Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town. It’s almost impossible to quibble with Luang Prabang’s status as the premier tourist spot in Laos since the city delivers in pretty much every area. […]

Wikipedia article about Ayeyarwady River

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