Dams and deltas.

THE construction of dams has become the talk of the town nowadays. Everybody, particularly the TV news media, is speaking about the importance of the dams. However, I have not heard anyone shed light on the importance of deltas.

I had the opportunity recently to interact with the faculty and students of the Geography and Environmental Sciences department of an Islamabad-based university. I was surprised that many of them did not even know the basic definition what is a delta. At the lowest part of a river is the delta.

It is in these areas where the river's flow slows and spreads out to create sediment-rich dry areas and biodiverse wetlands. Deltas are important to human activities, fish and other wildlife because they are normally home to very fertile soil as well as a large amount of vegetation.

River deltas have been important to humans since time immemorial because of their extremely fertile soils. Major ancient civilisations grew along deltas such as the Nile and the Tigris-Euphrates rivers.

Deltas remain important to humans because they are a source of sand and gravel. This material is highly valuable as it is used in the construction of highways, buildings, and other...