Polski
Since time immemorial, rivers have shaped and are shaping the landscape of our planet. On February 10, a documentary film titled The River (original River, dir. Jennifer Peedom, Joseph Nizeti). It is already available on paid streaming platforms. The spectacular film shoot was shot in thirty-nine countries, on six continents. Some may find the film boring, others may find it full of remarkable images and beautiful music. The creators refer to basic factual content, so for a person who has been studying the subject for years, the picture from this angle is of little interest. But that is not where its value should be placed. Much more important is the educational message.
Rivers are our source of drinking water, feed us, provide shelter for countless species of animals and plants, and are refuges of biodiversity. Thanks to them, the economic development of many regions was and is possible, it was along the banks that civilization developed. Rivers in many parts of the world are treated as a source of spiritual renewal and have cultural significance.
Unfortunately, not all images are so beautiful, in many places in the world you can no longer enjoy the benefits of rivers. Partitioning of riverbeds, discharge of untreated wastewater, waste of water… and many other negative human activities contribute to the degradation of these ecosystems.
Also in Poland, the condition of rivers is alarming. Without restoration efforts, reducing discharges, carrying out regulations only to the extent necessary and rationalizing intakes, the situation will not improve.
The Chief Inspector of Environmental Protection is responsible for water monitoring in Poland, including the assessment of the condition of rivers, The collected data and their assessment can be consulted in published reports.
River – the competition will soon be launched
The river prompted the idea of our editorial team to initiate educational activities of “Water Issues” in the topic of rivers in Poland – the first contest related to them will soon be launched. We will keep our readers updated.
“Many people have forgotten how to listen to the river,” these words are spoken by the narrator, Willem Dafoe. I fully agree with them.
