On Sunday, July 28th, 2013, denizens of Piedras, a town located in Central Colombia, went to the polls to participate in the consulta popular on the establishment of large-scale mining activities in this rice-producing town.

On Sunday, July 28th, 2013, denizens of Piedras, a town located in Central Colombia, went to the polls to participate in the consulta popular on the establishment of large-scale mining activities in this rice-producing town.
It has become quite a cliché to observe that rivers are important to the wellbeing of human societies around the world, but what exactly is this importance?