Ecological services refer to the ways in which humankind benefits from the environment. They are the healthy ways upon which the society thrives and include spiritual and recreational, supporting and regulating, waste decomposition and provision of clean natural amenities. Rivers are a crucial part of the ecosystem that mostly allow for provision of clean water and facilitating food production (Naiman, 2011). The most important services by rivers are provision of clean drinking water and food along with climate regulation. These two services encourage the very existence of life on the planet through their wonderful sustainable processes (Poff & Zimmermann, 2010).
Life is practically impossible without water. The earth and the human body are made of seventy per cent of water and human beings cannot survive forty eight hours without water. Its purpose is mainly to create provision in terms of food and transportation along with support life forms such as fish, hippopotamus along with land animals and birds (Naiman, 2011). Clean water is necessary for these animals and human beings to survive just by the use of it as drinking water. Moreover, for fish and hippopotamus, river water serves as the environment in which these live. It is their culture from which they would die if there was shortage or pollution of rivers. It is such reason that makes the services of water direly vital on the face of the earth (Poff & Zimmermann, 2010).
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Another purpose that shows the importance of ecological services of water is climate regulation. Water is extremely crucial in the creation of rain. Rivers are the vessels that carry water from the mountains into water bodies such as lakes and oceans (Naiman, 2011). For this reason, the relationship between mankind and rivers affects the impact of the river on water bodies which in turn affects the creation of water on mountain tops and the cycle of life that is dependent on water. Moreover, clean rivers affect formation of clean rain water as opposed to acid rain that in turn affects the crops which become food for human and animal kind. In the event that pollution of river water occurred then the society would be bridled by chaos in disease, irregular climates, death and desolation from lack of food and the going extinct of fishes and hippopotamuses among other animals that live in it (Naiman, 2011).
Unfortunately, there has been continued decline in the quality of life given water pollution that has led to frustrations in irregular climate change and diseases. So far, the pollution of rivers has seen death of life within it and infection of the same with cancers. The same diseases have befallen human beings in various parts of the world while destroying crops through acid rain. It is evident that most of the pollution occurs on water bodies which in turn infect the larger water bodies leading to even more dramatic results (Poff & Zimmermann, 2011).
There has also been a decline in the supporting role of rivers where fishermen are unable to obtain as much food as is required through fishing. Such goes on to affect the cultures of people given their interaction with rivers that may involve traditional water sports and farming cultures. As if that is not enough, the melting of ice caps affects the societies through which rivers pass given the expansions that lead to constant flooding. All this is a result of interference with rivers by pollution which can be avoided and decreased.
R eferences
Naiman, R. J. (2011). River ecology and management: Lessons from the Pacific coastal ecoregion . New York ; Berlin ; Heidelberg ; Barcelona ; Hong Kong ; London ; Milan ; Paris ; Singapore ; Tokyo: Springer.
Poff, N. L., & Zimmerman, J. K. (2010). Ecological responses to altered flow regimes: a literature review to inform the science and management of environmental flows. Freshwater Biology , 55 (1), 194-205.
