National Geographic - Rivers and Life (2009) Part 1 The Amazon

Rivers and Life

Celebrating the ever-changing nature of our relationship with the Earth’s amazing water systems, Rivers and Life reveals how the cultures and lives of millions of ordinary people are shaped by the magnificent waters they live along. River-by-river, we explore six of the world’s most iconic watercourses, tracing their routes, their histories and their changing lives, telling the compelling stories of the life that’s lived along their banks. We encounter indigenous communities who dwell in harmony with rivers; modern traders, artists and artisans who make their living there; and vast metropolises which – now more than ever – depend on 21st century technologies to keep the ancient waters at bay.

rivers%202.jpg200&nolinkPart 1: Amazon This program visits urban centers on the banks of the Amazon and examines attempts to harness—or exploit—the river's energy and natural abundance. The journey begins at Iquitos—a Peruvian city blighted by poverty and inaccessible by road. Next is Manaus, a hub of tourism and industry in Brazil—and a springboard to discussions of controversial dam proposals. At the mouth of the Amazon, Belem finds the river both agriculturally productive and highly vulnerable to development.

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