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Why are large populated cities located near rivers? (Introduction (2nd…
Why are large populated cities located near rivers?
Introduction
2nd Part - China
If we consider cities in China such as Shanghai with a population of 26.32 million, rivers contribute to Shanghai's human civilization for the future.
There is an important fishing village that lies in the Southeast of Shanghai and can show how rivers are important ...
This fishing village developed from its first settlement in 5000 BC.
Without this fishing village there would of been no way to provide a safe way of landing fish and securing boats as this all happened due to the Huangpu river and where it is located.
As Shanghai is located by the Huangpu river, the fishing village was able to develop over time.
First part
Looking at our densely populated and overcrowded sprawling cities, it is hard to look back and consider the early developments around rivers.
Many cities have a long history with rivers as they are one of their geographical reasons for their location.
3rd Part - other case studies
However, Shanghai is not the only metropolis that is based around a river, in fact
three quarters
of metropolis' are located near rivers.
; London, Paris and Cairo can be illustrated as other examples.
4th Part - what I will write
In this essay, I will explore the reasons on why large populated cities are located near rivers by considering the economical, environmental, social, human, physical and political factors.
I will be concerning the advantages and disadvantages of having cities located near rivers as well as concerning the question 'will cities be located near rivers in the future?'.
Economics
Advantages
Agricultural business
23.07 million acres of land is used in the U.K. ( 70% of the U.K's land area)
It contributes 0.62% of its gross value added which consists of £9.9 billion
No rivers = no fertile soil for crops
Agriculture contributes 17% to the total of India’s GDP
Trading business
90% of all trade is carried by sea
Transatlantic trade
By the end of the eighteenth century 4 million pounds came into Britain from its West Indian plantation
Compared with one million from the rest of the world
Due to the River Thames and the more accessible areas
Disadvantages
Developed cities agriculture
As the city develops economically the agricultural importance declines
Political
Advantage
Defense
Border between countries/cities
Symbolic significance
to mark the place on the ground where one sovereignty ends and another begins
'Crossing the Rubicon'
An irrevocable change that commits to one specific course.
This phrase
alludes
to Julius Caesar's decision on crossing the Rubicon River (between Italy and Gaul) in 49 B.C. - thereby starting a war between Pompey and the Roman Senate
Environmental
Advantages
River management systems
Hard engineering
This involves building artificial structures which try to control the rivers
Soft engineering
This takes a more sustainable and natural approach to managing rivers.
Flood barriers and mitigations
There are many examples of the two types of river management systems
Embankments
Afforestation
Straightening and deepening
Land-use zoning
Dams
Disadvantages
Water pollution
he capacity of the world’s fleet of tankers, the ships that transport crude oil and petroleum products, has increased by 73% since 2000.
This is a source of water pollution as ships, when in motion, normally account for 10% of the oil that is in the sea.
Furthermore, it is estimated that nearly half of the 1 million tons of oil makes its way into marine environments each year comes not from tanker spills but from land-based sources such as factories, farms, and cities.
This disadvantage is a huge issue and needs to be dealt with in a matter of time.
Diseases that can spread through rivers killing animals and sometimes humans
The Nile can prevent some diseases
There are some that can be caused by swimming or getting cleaned in the Nile
A life that the Nile delta can bring is known as the water-borne parasite
This causes Bilharzia which infects 1 Egyptian in 12
It has been known to be impossible to escape in many villages in Egypt such as Batania
Conclusion
Fundamental factor
Physical advantages
Food + water
Fertile soil for crops
However, I also believe that all of these factors are reasons on why large populated cities are located near rivers
2nd Part
Social + Human
Advantage
Jobs
In the River Thames,
43,500
full time jobs are due to the impact of the river
This has huge impacts on their survival
Disadvantage
The diseases that spread from pollution
the growth of settlements = more rubbish is being thrown into the sewage which leads into rivers
80% of our worlds wastewater is being
deposited
back into our rivers
Unsafe water kills more people than forms of violence, like wars, combined
water sources are finite as only 1 percent of our Earth's actual freshwater is accessible to us
Without action, the challenges will only increase by 2050, when global demand for freshwater is expected to be one-third greater than it is now.