Human imprints on global riverfronts
Rivers are profoundly shaped by human activity along their water-land interfaces (riverfronts), yet the global distribution and drivers of these imprints remain poorly understood. Here we present a high-resolution global map of 7.52 million kilometers of riverfronts using satellite imagery and deep learning. We find that nearly 20% of global riverfronts are anthropogenically modified, primarily by agriculture (13.43%) and built-up areas (6.29%). A distinct modification belt spans parts of Africa and Eurasia, accounting for ~60% of global alterations, with imprint densities six times higher than elsewhere. This lateral fragmentation represents a pervasive human pressure that differs fundamentally from dam-induced longitudinal fragmentation, and is closely linked to deteriorating water quality and biodiversity threats. Environmental constraints and region-specific socio-economic dependencies further shape these spatial patterns. Our findings inform riverfront management and underscore the urgent need to reconcile development with the ecological integrity of these transitional zones. The global map of riverfront landscapes reveals that nearly one-fifth of riverfronts have been modified by human activity. This extensive footprint creates widespread fragmentation that fundamentally reshapes land-water interactions, providing crucial insights for rethinking global river management.
Authors
- Fanxuan Zeng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8520-9764)
- Jida Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3548-8918)
- George H. Allen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8301-5301)
- Richard Iestyn Woolway (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0498-7968)
- Tamlin M. Pavelsky (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0613-3838)
- Linghong Ke (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9374-943X)
- Peirong Lin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7275-7470)
- Chunqiao Song (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1060-4636)
- Dongmei Feng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3141-0371)
- Kai Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5500-0644)
- Tan Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7751-1392)
- Chenyu Fan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2572-2491)
- Lin Huang
- Pengfei Zhan
- Hui Zhang
Institutions
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
- Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine (CN)
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US)
- Bangor University (GB)
- Hohai University (CN)
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- Peking University (CN)
- China University of Mining and Technology (CN)
- Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology (CN)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- University of Cincinnati (US)
- Virginia Tech (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2026-07-18
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-75777-0
- Primary Topic
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- UK Research and Innovation
- European Space Agency
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- China Postdoctoral Science Foundation
- Natural Environment Research Council
- Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
- National Key Research and Development Program of China