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Sustainable
Development Index
Caring for the Thames | Wildlife
Survival | Environmental
Issues
Caring for the Thames in London
The River Thames rises in the Cotswolds and flows
for 344 kilometres until it reaches the North
Sea. Along the way it collects water from 3,000
miles of tributaries. The river and its tributaries
form the Thames Basin, the largest river basin
in the United Kingdom (UK). This waterways system
is inter-linked. What we do to one part of the
system can affect another part. For example, if
we put oil in a tributary, it may end up in the
Thames.
The Thames is home to many different kinds of
wildlife. It is also home to the 11 million people
who live in the Thames region, making it the most
densely populated area in the UK. People have
changed the river a lot to suit different purposes
and these changes can affect the river and its
wildlife. Balancing the needs of us humans and
the natural world can be difficult.
You probably do not think you have much connection
to the Thames. However, if you live in London,
the water that you drink from your tap at home
probably comes from the Thames or one of its tributaries.
Your body is made mostly made of water, so you
are mostly made of the River Thames. The waste
water from your toilet and drains is returned
to the Thames after being cleaned up. So you are
part of the system!
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Sustainable development
Sustainable development is about behaving
today in a way that will make Planet Earth
a good place to live for future generations.
This means working towards a world where
everyone is healthy and has enough money
to live. To achieve this, we have to look
after our planet, which provides us with
what we need to live. If today we pollute
the environment and use up all the Earth's
resources quickly, then people in the future
will have difficult lives in an environment
where many of the animals and plants that
we know have died out.
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Sustainable
Development Index
Caring for the Thames | Wildlife
Survival | Environmental
Issues
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