Only a third of Earth’s longest rivers still run free

Mapping millions of kilometers of waterways allowed scientists to make the new calculation

Coco River in Brazil

BRANCHES AND BRAIDS  In central Brazil, the Coco River (left) empties into the Araguaia River, or “River of the Macaws,” one of the world’s remaining free-flowing long rivers.

© Day's Edge Productions, WWF-US

Free-flowing rivers are an endangered species on Earth.