Environmental issues and challenges confronting surface waters in South America: A review

This study entailed a review of 80 scientific articles on different environmental issues and challenges confronting the rivers, streams and running water in South America. The diversity of issues identified in the review is categorised based on themes that were widely addressed in the studies. Six themes of these are grouped into the following categories: pollution; contamination; climate changes, global warming and/or drought; anthropogenic/human impacts, urbanisation, land use; sedimentation and flooding. Pollution and contamination are the most environmental issues addressed by most of the research work reviewed in this study. These are followed by the impacts of climate vulnerabilities and anthropogenic activities, sedimentation and flooding respectively. These issues transcend one single country but cut across many countries in the continent. This review provides useful information and synthesised insights that support current and future bibliography queries, research and studies of rivers and streams of South America. It is also noted here that both indices of natural and anthropogenic processes are dictating various environmental challenges confronting surface water systems. The knowledge of the processes and their effects are very important if a proper plan is to be made in addressing those challenges. It is expected that this study serves as a resource for understanding the dynamics of different surface water systems of the continent and as filling the knowledge gap on synthesising the various environmental issues affecting the surface water systems