World Wildlife Fund report Worlds greatest rivers are in danger
Pollution, global warming and rampant development could destroy some of the worlds most iconic rivers in the coming decades, threatening to wipe out thousands of fish species and cause severe water shortages, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) said in a report released in March.
Only 21 of the planets 177 longest rivers run freely from source to sea, with dams and other construction destroying the habitats for migratory fish and other species by altering the waters natural ebb and flow, the WWF says. About a fifth of the worlds 10,000 freshwater fish and plant species are extinct or endangered, the report says, calling on governments to radically step up efforts to preserve rivers, lakes and wetlands.