Rivers are critically important ecosystems, providing significant social, economic, and ecological benefits such as regulation of water quantity and quality; habitat for water birds, fish, amphibians and invertebrates; resources to meet human needs; recreation and tourism.
In the recent decades, extensive losses and degradation of rivers have occurred, and over half of our original rivers have been drained and converted to other uses. Recent increases in flood damages, drought damages, and the declining biodiversity (e.g. bird populations) are, in part, the result of river degradation and destruction. Rivers have been degraded in ways that are not as obvious as direct physical destruction or alteration. Other threats have included chemical contamination, increased nutrient inputs and eutrophication (accelerated succession from low to high primary productivity rates), hydrologic modification, and sediment from air and water. Global climate change could affect rivers through increased air temperature; shifts in precipitation; increased frequency of storms, droughts, and floods; increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration; and sea level rise. All of these impacts could affect species composition and river functions.
Approaches to the management of rivers can be assocaited with the major uses of rivers. For management to be effective, an appropriate management plan woith holistic view is essentially the first step. Such plan should include the following components:
To identify the objectives of site management
To identify which factors affect the site’s key features
To resolve conflicts
To identify and describe those actions required ti achieve management objectives
To define the monitoring requirements
To maintain continuity of effective management
To help obtain financial resources
To enable communication within and between sites, organisations and stakeholders
To demonstrate that management is effective and efficient
To ensure compliance with local, national and international policies

This is an advanced-level course focusing on issues about rivers and climate change, and the course content is extended from the course “BSE 5131 Conservation of River Ecosystems 2: Case Study & Analysis” which emphasizes on the fundamental concepts of river ecology and principles of ecological conservation.