Essay Sample on Importance of Rivers in First Civilization

Introduction

History has been acknowledged for many years on how rivers were crucial in the first settlement for human beings. Rivers provide water for drinking and are also cited as hunting grounds for the cradle man. This paper, therefore, will focus on the importance of rivers in the first civilization.

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Civilization majorly depends on the societies that could maintain it; this was understandably resilient in areas with rivers flowing in them. For instance, Pharaonic Egypt, along the Egyptian Nile, had more opportunity to attract settlement as opposed to environments that were far removed from rivers. (Lewin 1-5)

In ancient times, the nomadic man needed water for drinking. He also used water environments' for activities such as hunting and fishing, which were crucial in the early man's existence. Rivers were significant in the development of agriculture, within the flats that were alongside large rivers, first man dag wells which were, in turn, used to irrigate the land. For such a task to be successful, there was a need for a well-organized society, hence helped create states and civilizations. Furthermore, a human being constructed a river water wheel that was used to carry out irrigation. (Yevjevic, 163-171).

Infrastructures

Civilization, on the other hand, is perceived as a collection of several infrastructures. The significant purposes of water resources make the larger part of theses infrastructure. Thus water resources influence the existence of the first civilization. Furthermore, the rivers environment served as settlement areas as a man could get water readily for; irrigation, water for drinking, and recreational fishing. (Bock, 413-433).

A number of both European and American countries, rivers served numerous types of human uses until the start of the industrial revolution in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Before the industrial revolution, society depended on environmental resources, often associated with rivers. Moreover, they were the primary source of kinetic energy. Rivers were also the main transport routes used for shipping goods or transporting woods by using rafts. With the diverse use of the rivers, the human population increased along waterways, which led to the expansion of the economy of the growing settlement and towns intensified; all these were as a result of the uses of the rivers.

The paradigm shift from wood fuel to fossil-fuelled to the production of hydroelectric power which was used to drive heavy machinery. At the onset of the first civilization, transport has been an essential role in the rivers. Transport was characterized by all rivers which attracted settlement. The emergence of hydropower led to the rising population and trading activities, which led to civilization. In the urban settlement, rivers were centers of the economy. This is because rivers provided essential water resources for commercial use. Water from the rivers was used in cleaning in factories and other domestic use in society. (Haidvog 19-39)

Conclusion

Historically, rivers for the better part of human civilization. This is evident since rivers attracted most of the human settlements. Rivers were essential in the sense that the provided water for drinking, water for irrigation, and also they cited as a fishing ground where people could get food. The availability of rivers further led to the development of agriculture, where rivers provide water for irrigation. Food production also intensified, which led to the need for developing factories, thus human civilization.

References

Bock, Kerstin. "Ecosystem Services in River Landscape." Riverine ecosystem management (2018): 413-433. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02508069208686135

Haidvog, Gertrud. "Historic Milestones of Human River Uses and Ecological Impacts." (2018): 19-39. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273706032_The_rivers_of_civilization

Lewin, Mark G Maklin & John. "The Rivers of Civilization." (2015): 1-5.

Yevjevic, Vujica. "Water and civilization." (2009): 163-171. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02508069208686135?journalCode=rwin20.