More than half of world’s rivers heavily impacted by humans, study says

Research finds that 53% of Earth’s rivers have seen ‘marked biodiversity change’ since the start of the industrial era

Human activity has had a profound impact on the world’s rivers (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

More than half of the world’s rivers have seen “marked biodiversity change” since the start of the industrial era, a new study finds.

Earth’s rivers and lakes cover just one per cent of the Earth’s surface but provide a home to a quarter of vertebrate species.

But human activities such as overfishing, damming and water pollution are having a profound impact on the world’s freshwater ecosystems.