Never have I stood next to a river and not felt a wave of flow wash over me, cleansing the load of what I may hold, lighten, soothe, a homecoming in its liquid being, let it be, like a river lazes in maturity along the curves of plains, silent, steady but never still, in a continual journeying, yet enough for where it may be in its phases -
As modern-day humans, we forget that the basis of our existence is because of and depends on the crucial elements of nature’s perfect symmetry, a planet of chance in perfect alignment. Lest a tiny error in the greater scheme of things, we cease to exist. Our current being, shaped by technological advancements is possible because the foundation is taken care of, by nature, by the earth,
and as the Native American proverb goes: "Only when the last tree has been cut down, the last fish been caught, and the last stream poisoned, will we realize we cannot eat money."
And in that beat, one such element is the Earth’s “arteries” – RIVERS.
Let us refresh our memories from school textbooks where we learned about rivers (even if for exams) but now amid growing environmental challenges (as my supposed pre-autumnal, late summer September rages in a midsummer heat – thanks to climate change – that threatens to suck souls out of bodies) – makes River Day (the fourth Sunday of September) the perfect wake-up call, if anything.
WHY RIVERS?
For one, we all know how the first seeds of modern civilization were sowed in the fertile soil of river plains across the Earth. And while rivers are the water source of this planet as providers of freshwater, they are also crucial for sustaining the biodiversity that makes our very existence possible.
As “Biodiversity Hotspots”, river ecosystems support a diversity of life – from fish, amphibians, invertebrates, and plants that are key species within food webs. Rivers also create riparian zones (areas next to rivers) that are lush with vegetation, offering habitat and sustenance to a range of wildlife. Rivers transport nutrients and sediments downstream to floodplains and deltas, not only making the land fertile, but also influences coastal environments, contributing to the productivity of wetlands, estuaries, and marine ecosystems. Rivers act as ecological corridors, ensuring the transfer of energy and genetic material across large distances. This connectivity supports biodiversity and resilience in ecosystems.
Also, Rivers regulate the Climate - by moving freshwater across continents and into the ocean, they help regulate atmospheric moisture levels. This impacts weather patterns and rainfall.
About 2 billion people rely directly on rivers for their drinking water. They are also vital for agriculture with irrigation systems depending heavily on river flows, especially in arid regions where agriculture feeds local populations.
In helping modern-day civilizations flourish, rivers have powered economies and play an essential role in advancement, powering tech in hydropower, a renewable cleaner energy source.
But, currently, rivers are under threat due to over-extraction, over-exploitation of its resources, extensive pollution, and the effects of climate change -
Although the data on the health status of rivers is inconsistent and limited because of geographical boundaries and institutional differences, according to a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) study, more than 40% of bodies of water are severely polluted –
“Globally, over 3 billion people are at risk of disease because the water quality of their rivers, lakes and groundwater is unknown, due to a lack of data. Meanwhile, a fifth of the world’s river basins are experiencing dramatic fluctuations in water availability, and 2.3 billion people are living in countries categorized as “water-stressed,” including 721 million in areas where the water situation is “critical. Our planet is facing a triple crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution and waste. These crises are taking a heavy toll on oceans, rivers, seas and lakes,” said UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen."
A survey found that 76% of people believe that human behavior is the biggest obstacle to reducing water pollution, given there is a relative lack of conservation awareness for fresh waters.
Why We Need to Bring Our Focus Back to Rivers Urgently -
The health of rivers is tied to the health of the entire planet. While freshwater availability is diminishing due to contamination from industrial runoff, agricultural chemicals, and untreated sewage, rivers also serve as carbon sinks, helping to regulate the atmosphere's carbon levels, which is crucial in the fight against climate change.
"According to the UN World Water Development Report 2023, by 2050, more than half of the global population (57%) will live in areas that experience water scarcity for at least one month each year. The report also projects that the number of people in urban areas facing water scarcity will double from 930 million in 2016 to 1.7–2.4 billion people in 2050. This report also highlights that water scarcity could cost some regions up to 6% of their GDP and may become a determinant of food scarcity."
If the data is endearing, it is what it is, and since the role of governments, and international institutions is key here, and if they are taking necessary steps, the answer is meh.
Nonetheless, as individuals, awareness is our greatest asset, because in being aware and keeping our focus on nature, we are reminded to live mindfully and play a role in spaces we can. We realize that we are not isolated inheritors of this planet, rather, we are visitors on Earth, and our actions add up. Ignorance is bliss, but we’d have to be living under a rock, which is practically impossible when we are living on a rock (literally), our little steps of mindfulness matter and are not in avail. On observances like Rivers Day, we are reminded, that we cannot stomp on our life source and can make mindful choices, because who suffers anyway if nature suffers? Well, it's us.
Saving rivers may seem of less priority in our already busy lives (amped social media and whatnot too), but think rivers getting f**ked means we getting f**ked, so.
What Can We Do?
Look, I am sure, we are already aware of the action we can take – from volunteering in community initiatives, working with NGOs and groups that take forefront action, policy advocacy, and funding these initiatives – and many people, especially the youth are advocates of it more than ever.
But it is not the ONLY THING we can do. Every single individual can make certain mindful choices that are necessary for a conscious, fulfilling life that aids the environment, despite our busy lives (thanks to the economy) which may get in the way of what we want to and can do –
First step is AWAKENING –
In the context of rivers specifically, and the environment at large, the first step is always AWARENESS. The awareness of the truth that yes, Nature which sustains us, is at risk, and we are at the receiving end. I mean it's practically everywhere so, it's not like we don’t see it, feel it, or are experiencing it, so acceptance of the truth is the first step. In doing so, we organically become mindful, prompting us to exercise conscious choices in spaces we can.
The cool thing about being an aware person is that we never know how our tiny light can impact, inspire, and keep the focus in the right place.
Step 2 is Bringing our Focus Back to Nature –
Talking of focus reminds of the famous saying – "Where awareness goes, energy flows" – In this context, when we choose to become aware of the natural world around us, two things happen –
First, we begin to notice our interconnectedness and begin caring about nature as a part of us, as opposed to being disconnected, egoistic owners of this planet, realizing we are because nature is.
Second, we begin to find inspiration and solutions to several modern human maladies in Nature itself. We make healthier choices as opposed to frantic consumerism, and surprisingly it is easier and more accessible than we make it to be.
Do-able means of ACTION NOW -
For instance, Reducing Plastic Use –
Instead of trend-chasing fast fashion, impulse buying, and being an unconscious, conspicuous consumer – which is a major contributor to plastic waste, if we are conscious consumers that opt for the sustainable option, are minimalistic (do we really need x,y,z items to feel better?), spend intentionally, upcycle and repurpose, we have what we need sans the guilt (btw, using pleasure and guilt together feels like an oxymoron, it just doesn’t sit.)
Because you see, Rivers are choked with plastic, especially single-use plastics, and there are sustainable alternatives to choose from.
Being mindful about our waste disposal is another thing we can do - not dumping oils, chemicals, or non-biodegradable items down the drain that end up in rivers, having proper disposal means for hazardous materials like batteries or electronics, etc.
And then conserving water, knowing it is a resource and treating it mindfully to avoid over-extraction and pressure on rivers as freshwater sources. Simple steps matter – like “turning off the tap” (Turning off the tap can save 6 liters per minute), regularly checking our pipes and faucets for leaks, and composting food waste - it reduces water usage and provides nutrients for the soil (especially at a time of the call to “save soil”), rainwater harvesting – simply by setting by rain barrels to store, to name a few. These are basic and small steps that might make you question its worthy role but if do a bit of research, you’ll see that these mindful means go a rather long, long, long way, long. There is a corner of the internet filled with mindful, planet-conscious geeks sharing their maverick ways of water conservation that and you can tap in, and even appear cool on social upon application (just saying).
As a consumer, we can support organic, sustainable, and local farms that use fewer harmful chemicals, as agriculture is known to be the biggest sources of river pollution, with fertilizers and pesticides washing into waterways.
If we can shift to renewable energy sources like solar power, for one, (several initiatives to choose from based on your location) and take the load off of rivers as hydropower source. This also helps reduce our carbon footprint, as climate change disrupts the natural flow of rivers.
Look, I am aware, in comparison to the amount of pollution and degradation that the big players like industries etc do, our tiny effort feels like fluff, but collective individual action holds the power to influence the market, which can, in turn, influence the goliaths, like we are seeing a growing disapproval of the non-planet conscious, and a demand to clean up the act (if not green-washing only).
It may seem like a long shot, and it may seem like our tiny steps don’t matter, but in truth, it does, and in actuality is easier and fulfilling when we do, because this is what we are, we are tiny in the greater scheme of things, but in our tininess lie the mightiness of impact (think of what cells do).
Every phase is what makes a river flow:
Frozen in gigantic heights, heaven manifested, birthing life,
cracking open, pulled by gravity, a new-born force of nature, breaking through rocky mountain walls, boulders and rocks to pace its will, nature's course -
A mountain feisty in freshness of childhood innocence, life brimming in high energy -
Until it hits the plains to laze in wideness, an earned calmness, aligned with seasons, a monsoonal rage, a wintered low, nevertheless enough in currents never still -
To get only broader and bigger at the mouth, to become a sea in the universal ocean -
Where the river meets the sea, and the sea meets the ocean, and the ocean meets earth to become mountains that give rise to rivers, in that full circle of life, an eternal journeying, like breath in bodies, like a soul seeking, like the flow that makes a river, makes me too.
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