One of the Big 6 Rivers of the World is under threat due to climate change
Inadequate rains and persistent heat waves dry up rivers in the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Many rivers are also shrinking in length and width.
The bottom of the river is constantly visible from above the water. Some rivers are so dry that they are practically unnavigable.
The Climate crisis has made the global weather extreme day by day. Due to this, besides the rivers, the livelihood of the people who depend on them has been adversely affected.
Public life threatens since every person in the world depends on rivers in one way or another for drinking water, agriculture, energy production, or transportation of goods.
The US TV network CNN has released satellite images of six of the world’s major rivers threatened by climate change, highlighting the differences between their past and present conditions.
According to the report, there is currently a severe heat wave in the United States. Drought has appeared. The Colorado River is drying up dangerously due to drought.
To protect this river basin, the government has implemented mandatory reductions in water use. About four million people in seven US states and Mexico depend on the river’s water for drinking, agriculture, and electricity.
China’s Yangtze, one of Asia’s rivers, is drying up quickly. Its tributaries have already dried up. China has declared a nationwide drought warning for the first time in nine years, and the country’s heat wave is the longest in six decades.
The drying up of the Yangtze has had a profound effect on the surrounding region. Eighty-four million people live in Sichuan, China. About 80 percent of the total electricity here comes from hydropower.
Most of it comes from the Yangtze River. Recently, along with the decrease in the water flow of this river, electricity production has also decreased. Due to this, the authorities have ordered the factories to stop production for six days.
The Rhine River flows from the Swiss mountains through Germany and the Netherlands to the North Sea. This river in Germany is an essential channel for transporting goods in the European region.
However, now sailing on this route has become a nightmare. The bottom of the Rhine is now visible. Lower water levels in the river mean shipping companies have to take fewer goods across the route, costing more money.
Another river affected by climate change is Po (river). Its origin is Italy. It flows eastward into the Adriatic Sea. Due to this river, its surrounding areas often get flooded, which is devastating.
However, now the form of this river has changed. The worst drought has hit the region in seven decades. The river has dried up so much that a World War II bomb has recently been found at its bottom. About 30 percent of Italy’s food production is around the Po River.
The drought-stricken Loire River spans nearly 600 miles and considers the last river in France to flow through the forest. The river sustains biodiversity and ecosystems throughout the valley.
Some parts of the river have become so dry due to lack of rain and extreme heat that people can walk from one side to the other.
Another victim of climate change is the Danube River. It is a river in Hungary, the longest river in Western Europe, and an important shipping channel. It flows to over ten countries.
The condition of this river is better than other rivers in Europe. However, some tourist ships struggle to reach Hungary as the river water has receded.
