Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 3
Liquid histories
I have seen the Mississippi. That is muddy water. I have seen the St Lawrence. That
is crystal water. But the Thames is liquid history.
John Burns (1858-1943)
(British politician)
Rivers reflect history. They also help to create it. Societies interact with rivers for many
reasons, and these motivations can be classified simply into those rooted in the useful as-
pects of rivers and those that reflect rivers as hazards. People derive many benefits from
rivers. We have caught and eaten fish from them for tens of thousands of years. Rivers
provide water for domestic, industrial, and agricultural uses. They also provide all sorts of
minerals, ranging from gold and diamonds to the sand and gravel that is so essential to mod-
ern construction. The energy in a flowing river can be harnessed to facilitate trade and travel,
to generate electricity, and to remove many types of waste produced by human activities.
People enjoy rivers for recreational and aesthetic reasons, and as havens for wildlife. Con-
versely, rivers can breed fear and trepidation. This may be a function of quantity: either too
much water - a flood; or too little - a water shortage. The quality of river water may also be
a cause for concern, as a bearer of disease or dangerous concentrations of minerals such as
arsenic.
All of these facets of rivers as perceived by society have inevitably had some bearing on
the course of human history. Much of Europe's story can be told through the story of the
Danube. The rivers of Bangladesh compose both the landscape of the nation and the life of
its people. London is nothing without the Thames. Rivers are an essential part of the very
fabric of many societies and their histories.
