Library Guides: Water in the World: Water as Connection

Source: Matthew Feeney (2018)

As well as needing water to drink, we also use water as a way of connecting to place. We travel by water, live alongside it, and even centre some of our beliefs around it. Read through the resources below to learn more about water as a means and place of connection.

River (National Geographic, n.d.)
A river is a large body of fresh, flowing water. Read through this article to learn more.
Why are rivers so important? (World Wildlife Fund, n.d.)
On World Rivers Day, we celebrate the world’s precious waterways. But across the world, and closer to home, rivers are under threat. Why are rivers so important? And what are we doing to protect them? Read through this website to learn more.
How are rivers formed? (Earth Eclipse, n.d.)
The source or headwaters is from where the river forms. This source may be a melting glacier, as the River Ganges in Asia starts from Gangotri Glacier. The source could be melting snow, as the snows of the Andes feed the Amazon River. Read through this article to learn more.
Lessons from cities that plan for their rivers (The Conversation, 2018, September 11)
Most of the oldest cities in the world developed around rivers because they played a major role in sustaining the city itself. Read through this article to learn more.
From Ancient Egypt to modernity, why were cities built on rivers? (This City Knows, 2020, November 8)
Many of the world’s oldest cities have emerged around rivers as rivers played a significant role in sustaining the city itself. Read through this article to find out how.
Hydroelectric energy (National Geographic, n.d.)
Hydroelectric energy, also called hydroelectric power or hydroelectricity is a form of energy that harnesses the power of water in motion—such as water flowing over a waterfall—to generate electricity. People have used this force for millennia. Over two thousand years ago, people in Greece used flowing water to turn the wheel of their mill to ground wheat into flour. Read through this article to learn more.
Hydroelectricity (Environment, Land, Water and Planning Victoria, n.d.)
The power of moving water has been harnessed by humans for thousands of years. Hydroelectricity is generated through the conversion of flowing water into electrical energy, often using dams to store the water. Read through this website to learn more.

Nile River (National Geographic, n.d.)
The Nile River flows over 6,600 kilometers (4,100 miles) until emptying into the Mediterranean Sea. For thousands of years, the river has provided a source of irrigation to transform the dry area around it into lush agricultural land. Today, the river continues to serve as a source of irrigation, as well as an important transportation and trade route. Read this article to learn more about the historic importance of the river.
Why the Nile River was so important to Ancient Egypt (History Channel, 2021, July 12)
From nourishing agricultural soil to serving as a transportation route, the Nile was vital to ancient Egypt's civilization. Read through this article to learn more about the role the Nile played in Ancient Egypt.
Nile River facts (National Geographic Kids, n.d.)
Discover this incredible natural wonder and invaluable source of life with these ten facts.
Nile River and the desert (Canadian Museum of History, n.d.)
Read through this short article to learn more about the geography of the Nile and how that influenced the creation of Ancient Egypt.
Nile River (New World Encyclopaedia, n.d.)
The Nile is one of the world's great waterways, at 4,180 miles (6,695 kilometers) generally regarded as the longest river in the world and among the most culturally significant natural formations in human history. Flowing northward from remote sources in the mountains of Ethiopia and central Africa and draining into the Mediterranean Sea, the Nile has flooded seasonally over millennia to provide life-giving fertile soils and irrigation for Egypt's people. The drainage basin of the Nile encompasses about 10 percent of the area of Africa. Read through this article to learn more.
The Nile: longest river in the world (Live Science, 2016, November 30)
Perhaps no river on Earth has captured the human imagination quite like the Nile River. From stories of Pharaohs and man-eating crocodiles to the discovery of the Rosetta stone, it was here, along the river's fertile banks, that one of the world's most remarkable civilizations — Ancient Egypt — was born around 3000 B.C. The Nile was not only the source of life for the ancient Egyptians, but is still so today for the millions of people living along its banks. Read through this article to learn more about the geography, the wildlife and the mythology of the Nile.

Amazon: the world's mightiest river (Live Science, 2016, April 20)
The Amazon River is a massive, intricate water system weaving through one of the most vital and complex ecosystems in the world — the Amazon rainforest in South America. It is by far the mightiest river on Earth in terms of volume and width — reaching a span of nearly 30 miles (48 kilometers) in some parts during the rainy season. The river and its basin are home to many unique species of animals, trees and plants. Read through this article to learn more.
12 fascinating facts about the Amazon River (Tree Hugger, 2021, May 17)
The Amazon River is unparalleled to any other river on Earth. Its massive volumes of water feed the adjacent Amazon Rainforest, make it impossible to build bridges over, and even raise the height of the ocean in the Caribbean Sea. In addition to the Amazon River's role as a global freshwater powerhouse, its geologic past, unique wildlife, and impact on human history make this river one of the most fascinating places on Earth. Here are 12 amazing facts about the Amazon.
Amazon River (World Wildlife Fund, n.d.)
Coming a close second after the Nile as the world’s longest river, the Amazon River sets the record in terms of the sheer volume of water that it carries – a mind-boggling average discharge of 219,000 m3/sec of water. It is estimated that approximately one-sixth of all fresh water that drains into the world's oceans goes through the 320-km-wide delta of the Amazon, where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. Read through this website to learn more.
Why the health of the Amazon River matters to us all: An interview with Michael Goulding (Mongabay, 2020, September 9)
Like the rainforest which takes its name, the Amazon is the largest and most biodiverse river on the planet. The river and its tributaries are a critical thoroughfare for an area the size of the continental United States and function as a key source of food and livelihoods for millions of people. Yet despite its vastness and importance, the mighty Amazon is looking increasingly vulnerable due to human activities. Read through this article to learn more.
Amazon River (Centre for Global Environment Education, n.d.)
The Amazon River is the second longest river in the world and the largest in terms of the size of its watershed, the number of tributaries, and the volume of water discharged into the sea. No bridge crosses the river along its entire length. Read through this website to learn more.

The Ganges (World Wildlife Fund, n.d.)
The sacred river Ganges is crucial for India, culturally, economically and environmentally. Read through this website to learn more.
The race to save the River Ganges (Reuters, 2019, January 18)
Worshipped by a billion Hindus and a water source for 400 million, the government is battling to save “Mother Ganga”. Read through this article to learn more.
The Ganges – river of life, religion and waste (Geographical, 2022, January 7)
The Ganges is one of the most polluted rivers on Earth, but such is its religious importance that there are those willing to make enormous sacrifices to see that it’s cleaned up. Read through this article to learn more.
Geography of the River Ganges (ThoughtCo, 2019, May 24)
The Ganges River, also called Ganga, is a river located in northern India that flows toward the border with Bangladesh. It is the longest river in India and flows for around 1,569 miles (2,525 km) from the Himalayan Mountains to the Bay of Bengal. The river has the second greatest water discharge in the world, and its basin is the most heavily populated in the world with over 400 million people living in it. Read through this article to learn more.

Countries of Danube River Basin (International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River, n.d.)
At this website, you'll find a table with some general information on all countries that have a share in the Danube River Basin.
The Danube (World Wildlife Fund, n.d.)
Crossing through ten countries and draining some 817,000 km² and the territory of 18 countries, the Danube is the most international river in the world. In addition to the 83 million people that live in the river basin, the Danube supports unique habitats and globally important species of flora and fauna, including the White pelican and Beluga sturgeon. Read through this website to learn more.
Dirty Danube: looming pollution threats to the world’s most international river (The Guardian, 2016, November 13)
After barely surviving decades of pollution during the communist era, the Danube is facing new threats from microplastics, pesticides and pharma waste. Read through this article to learn more.
History and geography of the Danube River (Experience Plus, 2010, July 27)
The Danube rises in Germany’s Black Forest, flows through the heartland of Austria, forms the border with Austria and Slovakia, then Slovakia and Hungary, before flowing through Hungary, into Croatia and Serbia, to then form the boundary between Serbia and Romania, then Romania and Bulgaria, where it finally empties into the Black Sea. Read through this article to learn more.

Mississippi River (National Parks Service, n.d.)
The Mississippi River is one of the world’s major river systems in size, habitat diversity and biological productivity. It is also one of the world's most important commercial waterways and one of North America's great migration routes for both birds and fishes. Read through this website to learn more.
Mississippi River (American Rivers, n.d.)
There is so much to consider along this great American waterway as it courses through 10 states—Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana—it would seem easy to overlook a few pieces. Yet, the connectivity of the river that drains 41 percent of the continental United States and carries more water than any other American river remains its most critical component. Read through this website to learn more.
The Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin (MARB) (United States Environmental Protection Agency, n.d.)
The Mississippi River originates as a tiny outlet stream from Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota. During a meandering 2,350 mile journey south to the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi River is joined by hundreds of tributaries, including the Ohio and Missouri Rivers. Water from parts or all of 31 states drains into the Mississippi River, and creates a drainage basin over 1,245,000 square miles in size. Before reaching the Gulf, the Mississippi meets up with its distributary, the Atchafalaya River. Read through this website to learn more.
The Mississippi River (World Atlas, n.d.)
The Mississippi River is the second longest river in North America measuring a total length of 2320 miles from its traditional source at Lake Itasca. It flows south at a speed of 1.2 miles per hour to the Mississippi River Delta in the Gulf of Mexico and forms the second largest drainage system in North America after the Hudson Bay. Read through this website to learn more.

About the Murray (Discover Murray, n.d.)
Forty million years ago, through the forces of water and geophysical uplifting, the valley that cradles Australia's greatest river began to take shape. It is a river whose character encompasses environmental beauty, rich in heritage and history, busy townships and major regional centres, with amazing tourism and recreation opportunities, and a continuing bounty of produce - commonly referred to as the "Food Bowl of Australia". Read through this website to learn more.
Murray (Travel Victoria, n.d.)
The Murray River is Australia's longest river and forms most of the state border between Victoria and New South Wales. The Murray region follows much of the river's journey through a diverse range of landscapes. Read through this website to learn more.
Murray River (Department for Environment and Water South Australia, n.d.)
Learn all about the Murray River on this website, including land management information and history.

Australia's waterways by Greg Pyers
Publication Date: 2004
Australia is a diverse continent. There are vast areas of desert, pockets of lush rainforest, rugged mountain ranges, spectacular rock formations and countless waterways. Each landscape supports a wide range of plants and animals. Each is used by people in a variety of ways. And each has its own environmental problems. Find out about Australia's waterways - how they were used by people long ago and how important they are today, the environmental problems affecting them and what we can do to protect them.
Discover & learn about Australian wetlands and waterways by Steve Parish
Clearly and simply written and illustrated in brilliant colour with photographs, diagrams and maps.
Hydroelectric power: power from moving water by Margueritte Rodger
Publication Date: 2010
Each book in this series details the methods and issues of that energy topic. These are balanced books with a global view and world wide examples.