Humans have always settled near water—by springs, rivers, and lakes, where food is abundant. Water allowed us to move beyond a nomadic life, build the first villages, and invent agriculture.
Its pull remains just as strong today. Water is life. In South Sudan, fishing communities still live as they did 5,000 years ago. They have settled deep in the marshlands, as close as possible to their food source. Here, the only available land is on old termite mounds. The clay from these mounds is used to build houses—and even to create tiny gardens.
Fish, dried under the sun, is their only source of protein. For these nearly self-sufficient communities, it is also their only currency—their only means of trade with the outside world, should a passing boat appear.

Excerpt from the film A Thirsty World
by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Baptiste Rouget-Luchaire, and Thierry Piantanida
© 2012 Hope Production

Homes on the Water

Humans don’t live just anywhere—since the beginning of time, they’ve chosen to settle near water. With it, they built villages and learned to farm the land.
In this photo, taken in Africa, fishermen still live as they did 5,000 years ago. They make their homes in the middle of the marshes, on ancient termite mounds. With clay, they build their houses—and even small gardens.
They survive almost entirely on fish, drying it in the sun before trading it for things they need, like tools or salt. There are no roads here, only water stretching in every direction. So to get around, they use boats. Their whole life is shaped by the water.

© Couleurs Grands Lacs – Text | © Armand Amar – Music