1. What is a River?
a) The Water Cycle
Rivers form part of the hydrological cycle. (Source USGS)
Click on the image to visit the interactive Water Cycle
Task 1: Complete the Water Cycle worksheet using the USGS interactive water cycle.
b) The Drainage Basin
Click on each image to enlarge it.
c) The Rhine: From source to sea.
We see many changes in the appearance and characteristics of rivers as they transport water from their source to the sea. The Rhine begins life high in the Swiss Alps as a small stream that flows out of the Tomasee, 2,345m above sea level. By the time it reaches the sea in the Netherlands, it is a large river used by large ships.
An Interactive Map of the Rhine.
The long profile of a river.
Every large river has a similar profile. The length of the river and the altitude of the source may change but the overall form of the river will be roughly the same. The diagram belows shows how a river changes from source to sea. This is known as a rivers profile.
The Rhine’s long profile.
Task 2: Use the information in this section to create your own long profile of the Rhine.
Cut out the photographs of the Rhine and place them in the correct order on the Long profile sheet. You can also use the interactive map of the Rhine to help you.
Task 3: Complete worksheet 4, describing how the Rhine changes as it flows from its source to the sea.
d) The Importance of the Rhine: Benefits of the River.
Rivers and humanity:
Nearly 90% of the earth’s population lives within walking distance of a river system. Since the dawn of humanity, rivers have been important sources of sustenance. Throughout history and even today, people have built their settlements by the riverside where they have access to food, water, and transportation. The benefits that rivers have brought to humanity are countless; they have provided irrigation for farms and freshwater for people to drink, bathe and wash their belongings. For farmers, rivers provide a way to feed their herds. Riverbanks are lush sources of food even in the midst of the desert. They are sources of fish and seafood and they make it possible for crops to flourish.
In ancient Egypt, early farmers built homes and planted crops alongside the mighty Nile. In ancient India, the Harappa civilization was founded on the banks of the Indus River. Rivers have nurtured human civilizations for thousands of years and will continue to do so. Through developed irrigation systems, rivers irrigate 62 percent of all irrigated land. This land accounts for 40 percent of global food production, meaning rivers directly support approximately a quarter of global food production.
Globally, nearly 12 million tons of freshwater fish are harvested per year in river fisheries. This provides the primary source of protein for at least 160 million people. River fisheries provide livelihoods for 60 million people, with 55 percent of those being women.
e) Basel and the Rhine.
Production also generates waste heat, thanks to which almost 1,500 apartments in the neighboring district are supplied with heating and hot water. (Source)
Task 4: Use the information from the video and the map below to describe the opportunities that the Rhine offers to the people living in the drainage basin. Complete worksheet 05
f) The Hazards of Living on the Rhine: Floods.
What Causes Flooding:
Task 5: Use the information from this section to complete the two worksheets below. (07 & 08)
Task 6: Why is Basel at risk. Complete worksheet 09 to gain a better understanding of why Basel is at risk from flooding.
g) How does Basel protect itself from floods?
Task 7: Basel Flood protection task.
In this task you are going to learn about the different ways that Basel is protected from floods. To do this you will be using a set of photographs and labels that explain what the form of protection is, how it works and both the advantages and disadvantages of each method.
Flood Protection Task Instructions:
- Lay out the photographs on the desk and look for links between the photographs. Can you group the photographs together? Do you recognise any of the places in the photograph?
2. Take out the blue labels. The darker blue labels are the locations of each photo, the lighter blue labels give the name of each type of flood protection. Try to match the labels to the photographs.
3. Check the locations on this map to make sure that you have the correct labels for each photo.
4. Now take the green cards. These are all the advantages that come from the different methods of flood protection. Try to amtch them to the correct photos. Often the labels will fit more than one photo. In this case you can group the photos together. Don’t worry if you do not use all of the labels.
5. The flood protection in Basel is very effective however there are always problems. Take out the red cards and add these labels to the photos.