ABSTRACT
Industrial, agricultural and urban development place ever-growing pressures on land and water resources. Traditional management priorities have met human needs, with little regard for ecosystems. On a global scale the resulting impacts on the physical, chemical and ecological condition of river systems have been truly profound. There are many examples of severe environmental degradation, and few rivers can be described as being in a pristine or near-pristine condition. However, over the last part of the twentieth century, growing environmental awareness led to a shift in management priorities. This was coupled with developments in the understanding of river behaviour, dynamics and change. The role of the river manager now includes new challenges, where environmental considerations must be integrated with the development of water resources and the management of hazards, such as flooding. River management is now multidisciplinary, involving experts from a number of different fields, including geomorphology, ecology, engineering and economics. Geomorphologists have an important role to play in assessing the condition of rivers and their catchments, their sensitivity and future response to change. In this chapter you will learn about:
● The ways in which river channels have traditionally been managed to meet human needs.
