Rivers are threatened all over the world. They carry tons of visible and invisible waste to the sea. Tree felling undermines fertile soils and leads to flooding. Everywhere the health and safety of people living along rivers is at stake. Freshwater fishermen see their catch decline at an alarming rate.
Rivers, lakes and swamps cover less than one percent of the Earth’s surface. Yet they provide drinking water to 90 percent of the world’s cities and are home to an extraordinary diversity of life. About a third of all fish species, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals depend on the fresh water. No life without rivers.