River Culture – Life as a Dance to the Rhythm of the Waters

The global crises of biodiversity and cultural diversity are interdependent, especially so in rivers. While we know that 84% of the freshwater fauna has disappeared between 1970 and 2014, the loss in cultural diversity connected to the river and its floodplain (e.g., spiritual linkages, traditional use forms, adapted architecture, etc.) is as yet un-known.

This book makes a first attempt to deal with biological and cultural diversities altogether, depicting the bio-cul-tural diversities, historical human-river relation-ships, threats, and practical examples of how to mitigate the crisis in riverscapes.

More than 120 authors present interdisciplinary studies from river systems all over the world, and explore overarching issues on river ma-nagement in the Anthropocene. Modern societies increasingly re-integrate the river into their lifestyle, driven by citizens’ movements and/or by governments. Practitioners and scientists in landscape and urban planning, ecologists, sociologists, NGOs and governments are invited to disseminate the positive examples presented here, to document their own work, and to contribute to a more harmonious and peaceful life in riverscapes.