Rivers and Life (NG)

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[edit] General Information

Nature Documentary hosted by John Morgan, published by National Geographic in 2009 - English narration

[edit] Cover

[edit] Information

Rivers and Life Celebrating the ever-changing nature of our relationship with the Earth’s amazing water systems, Rivers and Life reveals how the cultures and lives of millions of ordinary people are shaped by the magnificent waters they live along. River-by-river, we explore six of the world’s most iconic watercourses, tracing their routes, their histories and their changing lives, telling the compelling stories of the life that’s lived along their banks. We encounter indigenous communities who dwell in harmony with rivers; modern traders, artists and artisans who make their living there; and vast metropolises which – now more than ever – depend on 21st century technologies to keep the ancient waters at bay.

[edit] Amazon

This program visits urban centers on the banks of the Amazon and examines attempts to harness—or exploit—the river's energy and natural abundance. The journey begins at Iquitos—a Peruvian city blighted by poverty and inaccessible by road. Next is Manaus, a hub of tourism and industry in Brazil—and a springboard to discussions of controversial dam proposals. At the mouth of the Amazon, Belem finds the river both agriculturally productive and highly vulnerable to development.

[edit] Nile

The Nile encapsulates the story of ancient civilisation and the story of modern conflict and modern consumerism. From the dawn of civilization the waters of ancient Egypt have facilitated their entire economy, culture and religion. Were it not for the capricious forces of the Nile, the enduring architectural edifices of the Pyramids might never have been built.

[edit] Ganges

The Ganges is the most spiritually revered river on Earth. For Hindus, Mother Ganga is a sacred spirit to be worshipped. It rises in an ice-cave in the Himalayas and empties into the Bay of Bengal. The holy river is a source of cleansing for sins, a place of purification. But the Ganges has become so badly polluted that it is dangerous to bathe in it let alone to drink from it.

[edit] Mississippi

The Mississippi is a river of sound - music, wildlife, voices, weather, even the sound of the river itself. This is the iconic North American river, home to paddle-steamers, Mark Twain, a key route in the story of slavery, and of New Orleans. The devastating flood of 1927 and the hurricane of 2005 laid bare the divisions that still exist in the worlds richest nation.

[edit] Rhine

It's an inspiration and a thing of beauty in itself but in addition the Rhine is also an industrial and economic force making it the busiest waterway in the world. It flows from the Swiss mountains through Austria, Germany, France and Luxembourg to the Netherlands. Many densely populated cities and towns are clustered along the River, bringing the total population of the Rhine Basin to approximately 50 million. The history of the Rhine is the history of Europes divisions and also its unity.

[edit] Yangtze

The Yangtze basin is home to 400 million people, making it one of the most densely populated river basins on earth. All those people have learned to live over generations with floods and disasters but thats about to change.