1.1 A River-Centric View of a Healthier World
The river has taught me to listen; you will learn from it, too. The river knows everything; one can learn everything from it. Herman Hesse (1951, Siddhartha, p. 105)
Contemporary society is in the midst of an existential crisis. On the one hand, the Information Age presents profound egalitarian potential associated with the rapid pace of technological and social change. On the other, there is profound disquiet and increasing alarm as existing governance arrangements fail to come to terms with environmental, socio-political and cultural problems at local, regional, national and global scales. Although remarkable insight and evidence have been achieved, governance arrangements are unable to address concerns for climate change, population growth, increasing consumption, resource depletion and the perils faced as planetary boundaries and tipping points are breached (e.g. Rockström et al. 2009; Steffen et al. 2015). Systemic crises have intellectual, moral and spiritual dimensions (Capra 1982). They are not issues of managerial inefficiency that can be addressed one at a time. Rather, they reflect a profound imbalance in thoughts and feelings, values and attitudes, and social and political structures. Different ways of thinking and living are required to address these issues of conscience and consciousness, recognizing that human survival and wellbeing are innately enmeshed within the fate of the environment. The earlier warnings of âLimits to Growthâ and âOnly One Earthâ ring loud and clear (Friends of the Earth 1972; Meadows et al. 1972).
Just as the health of a canary in a cage was used to provide guidance into prospective disasters in underground mines, this book considers river health as a measure of the ways human society is living with our planet. As impacts of human disturbance accumulate and are accentuated on valley floors, rivers provide a powerful focal point in considering ways to address prevailing environmental crises. Rivers play fundamental roles in our interconnected and interdependent lives. We depend on rivers, as rivers depend on us. They are not only the lifeblood of the land; they are also the lifeblood of society. Although rivers are venerated across the planet, they have been desecrated in just about every conceivable way, imperilling the health and viability of aquatic ecosystems (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005). Sadly, in many instances, the canary in the cage is decidedly unwell. Rather than singing sweet melodies, the voice of the river is screaming in angst. Alarm bells are ringing.
An alternative way of thinking is required, repositioning human endeavour and societal relations to the world. As a starting point, it must be recognized that:
- 1.We are âofâ the Earthâthe Earth made us, and we are fundamentally dependent upon it (Dartnell 2018).
- 2.Social and environmental crises are not someone elseâs problem and no-one else is going to look after this place for us. Itâs up to us.
- 3.It is time to cast aside denial, despair and excuses, placing environmental concerns at the front and centre of political agendas.
The struggle to overthrow our life-denying system has begun, as a growing voice of activist movements seeks to defend our life-support systems (Monbiot 2019). It took several thousand years to develop the technical mastery to tame and control rivers. In recent decades, moves towards an era of river repair have brought about some remarkable transformations in river condition, exemplified by marked improvements in water quality, environmental flow allocations and countless restoration initiatives. The process of river repair has taken different forms in different parts of the world, turning the tide of environmental degradation in some instances as contemporary societies live with rivers in fundamentally different ways to past eras (Brierley and Fryirs 2008). Indeed, many past practices would be considered unconscionable, almost inconceivable today. Much depends upon contextual considerations at a given place, as historical factors and the trajectory of river adjustment constrain what is realistically achievable for each river system (see Dufour and Piégay 2009).
However, this book contends that the ethos and mentality that underpins steps taken towards an era of river repair will not achieve the scale and rate of transformation that is required. Rather than accentuating or limiting damage to the river, a different ethos and approach puts the interests of the river front and centre, instilling efforts to allow each river to express its own voice. Increasing commitment to the Rights of Nature and a growing Earth Jurisprudence movement presents a compelling backbone for such prospects (Bosselmann 2008; Boyd 2017; Chapron et al. 2019; OâDonnell and Talbot-Jones 2018). For example, the Whanganui River in Aotearoa New Zealand is now a legal entityâit has its own rights (e.g. Morris and Ruru 2010; Ruru 2018).
With rivers at its heart, this book outlines what a more-than-human approach to living with rivers as living entities looks like, and prospects to achieve it. Finding the Voice of the River views rivers as living and sentient entitiesâplace-beings with moral standing. Such relations are simultaneously material and spiritual. They are ecocentric, not anthropocentric. An ecosystem approach views humans as part of nature, working with the river, not managing it to a particular norm. Rather than focussing upon short-term projects for a few flagship rivers, typically tied to budget and political cycles, concerns for social and environmental justice emphasize collective engagement in efforts to protect and enhance core values (things that matter) for each and every river. Such as an ongoing commitment is operationalized by everyone, reflecting the ways we live with rivers.
1.2 Although Rivers Are Precious, They Are Treated with Disdain
As symbols of purity, renewal, timelessness, and healing, rivers have shaped human spirituality like few other features of the natural world. ⊠Evoking magic, mystery, and beauty, rivers have inspired painters, poets, musicians, and artists of all kinds throughout history, adding immeasurably to the human experience. Sandra Postel and Brian Richter (2003, p. 6)
The interconnectedness of healthy river systems plays a critical role in sustaining life on Earth. These critical arteries and lifelines act as biological engines, connecting the webs of life of freshwater, terrestrial and marine environments. Access to water and fertile soils on floodplains supported the development of irrigated agriculture which underpinned the emergence of hydraulic civilizations and the worldâs first cities (Chap. 2). Indeed, humans have been acting as ecosystem engineers for thousands of years, fashioning increasingly domesticated ecosystems in many parts of the world (Kareiva et al. 2007). In the quest to provide resources and services to meet human needs, rivers have long been focal points of technical innovation, exemplified by devices to extract, transfer and store water and sophisticated engineering applications to build bridges, water treatment facilities and networks of navigable channels. Virtually all large rivers now support opportunities for transport, trade, renewable energy production and a host of other services of enormous benefit to society (see Box 1.1).