Healthy Urban Rivers as a Panacea to Pandemic-Related Stress: How to Manage Urban Rivers

Abstract

During the lockdown imposed due to the first wave of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, there were several media reports of citizens flouting the lockdown rules in the United States. Upon closer investigation it was found that the rules were flouted mostly so that people could spend time outdoors in natural environments. This exemplifies the role of the natural environment as a panacea to the mental stress created by pandemics. River ecosystems are perhaps the greatest natural feature of any city. Efficient management of urban rivers, therefore, is strongly correlated to crisis management during pandemics like COVID-19.