page_title: Human impact on river systems
section_title: River pollution
hierarchical_section_title: Human impact on river systems / Human impact / River pollution
caption_attribution_description: English: Garbage covered river banks seen from the bridge looking north. Deutsch: Blick von der Brücke nach Norden: Flussufer übersäht mit Abfall
context_page_description: Many river systems are shaped by human activity and through anthropogenic forces. The process of human influence on nature, including rivers, is stated with the beginning of the Anthropocene, which has replaced the Holocene. This long-term impact is analyzed and explained by a wide range of sciences and stands in an interdisciplinary context. The natural water cycle and stream flow is globally influenced and linked to global interconnections. Rivers are an essential component of the terrestrial realm and have been a preferable location for human settlements during history. River is the main expression used for river channels themselves, riparian zones, floodplains and terraces, adjoining uplands dissected by lower channels and river deltas.
context_section_description: Water pollution occurs when water bodies, such as rivers, lakes and oceans are contaminated with harmful substances. These substances degrade the water quality and are toxic to humans as consumers and to the environment. The contamination in a river can come from a point source or non-point source pollution. The most common types of surface water pollution are agriculture, sewage and waste water (including stormwater runoff), oil pollution and radioactive substances. The agricultural sector consumes a lot of fresh water and is the leading source for water degradation.
caption: Bagmati at western Ring Road bridge between Lalitpur and Kathmandu, Nepal
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