The Importance of River Water

The Importance of River Water The world’s lakes and flowing rivers constitute just one percent of the planet’s water. The fresh water in rivers is vital to all land base life. But population pressures are putting major water waste under stress. Rivers provide drinking water and water for agricultural purposes and since the beginning of human civilization, rivers have been used for transport and cities have grown on their banks. Rivers, now an integral part of the water cycle where fresh water, falling as rain or snow flows to the oceans to be evaporated by warmth from the sun forming clouds which release rain. All plant and animal life depends on this cycle. Africa’s River Nile is the longest river in the world. Since ancient’s times, the Nile has been a lifeline for the people and animals along its 6,800 kilometer length. Ten countries shares the Nile but the Nile water agreement of 1929 granted Egypt, the lion share of the Nile’s waters. The treaty was signed when 67 year old Banabus Equatus parents with children. His one acre farm near Canyons Lake Victoria has been in the family for generations. He is the only one in his area that defies the water treaty and irrigated his land. The treaty has been criticized by east African countries as a colonial relic that impedes development in upstream countries. Some says the treaty is stopping him from expanding his farm. Lake Victoria is the source of the White Nile, the longest branch of the Nile. It’s the world’s largest tropical lake and is an important transport hub for Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. Uganda, Ruwanda, Verandi, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, the Congo, Sudan and Egypt all rely on the Nile for agriculture. The Egyptian capital Cairo sits on the banks of the Nile and because of the treaty, it convict any upstream irrigation plans that could threatened the Nile’s levels. Over 95% of Egypt’s water comes from the river and most Egyptian’s lived in the third tile Nile of Valley though it makes up only 4% of Egypt’s available land. The country’s population is growing to the Egypt’s need for water will continue to increase. But many of the sub-Saharan countries have been pushing for what they say would be a fairer use of the Nile’s waters. The fair sharing of the waters from international water waste is a growing issue around the world. In fact that Egypt at the end of Nile has so much control has more to do with international politics in the early 20th century when the treaty was drafted. Every year, the Nile floods bringing with it replenishing nutrients that act as a natural fertilizer. In 2004, an international expedition sits off and navigates the White Nile from source to sea for the first time in history. The five person teams sponsored by KIA international are from Ireland, New Zealand, and South Africa. In some places, the settle the Nile expedition needed help from the local people to carry their specially constructed drafts around the difficult stretches of the upper river. They started from Bujagali falls in Jinja Uganda, to follow the river from Lake Victoria through Sudan and finally to Egypt and the Mediterranean. After some particularly turbulent stretches of the Nile and Uganda’s falls Natural Park retained to have timeout to ponder the dangers ahead. One of the biggest problems in this path of the Nile with a hippos and elephants would enjoy bathing in the river. Wherever the cruise stop, they drew crowds of curious own lookers. One reason for the expedition was to promote harmony amongst the people of the Nile. The team was equipped with two five meter self bailing inflatable rafts. As the Nile broad and then slowed, the rafters had to start paddling. To previous expeditions using collapsible canoes were force to carry their craft for large path of the journey. Four months later, after coming to deserts, for war zones and jungles, the two craft were motoring through the Nile’s biggest city Cairo. Great explorers of the 19th century had struggled to map the world’s longest river. The rigid wooden boats could not cope with the turbulent waters of the apple White Nile. But other places, the river disappears into broad mashed lands. To settle the Nile expedition had come through about 46 of particularly set of treacherous rapids at one stage loosing a pedal to the jaws of a crocodile. All 16 members had been living in east Africa for at least five years. Between them, they could boast an incredible 50 years of white water and expedition experienced. Soon after the Nile passes through the Egyptian capital, it breaks into distributaries that found out which reach delta region. The grip would emerge into the Mediterranean at Rosetta. The city that gave its name to the Rosetta stone had led to the deciphering of hieroglyphics. The Nile is unusual and its last tributary joined at halfway along its length in the Sudan. The Nile at Cairo is actually a smaller river than it is in the Sudan. The realtors described Egypt as the gift of the Nile because of this great river, the early inhabitants of Egypt were able to settle and establish a width base agriculture that led to the development of the ancient Egyptian civilization. Despite 8,000 years of human activity on its banks, they settle the Nile expedition was the first to navigate the Nile entire length. Since the Roman Empire, people have been seeking the headwaters of the Nile back until the 19th century expeditions have been unable to penetrate the sued marshlands in the Sudan. After a brief stay in Cairo, the rafters finished the last 200 kilometers stretch to Rosetta in the Mediterranean in around ten days with a complete voyage along the Nile had taken 18 weeks. A film about their journey called the longest river was released the following year.