Question

What is the role of rivers in economy?

Answer 1

• From ancient times, major cities have always grown around large rivers across the globe. Examples are London built around Thames river, Kolkata around Hooghly river, New Delhi around Yamuna river, Ahmedabad around Sabarmati river etc. Many cities are located near the Danube river, one of the largest rivers in Europe.
• River water is extremely important for countries that are dependent on agriculture.
• Rivers are extremely important to fulfill various human needs. They are the most basic natural resource.
• Rivers offer various economic benefits like generating hydroelectric power, they are used for internal navigation, they provide fish for human consumption, rivers are used for navigation purposes, transporting goods, and irrigation purposes.
• Lakes are an important destination for tourism. It gives opportunities for swimming, water sports, and boating which attracts tourists.
• Dal lake in Kashmir attracts many tourists, for its beautiful scenery, shikharas and houseboats.