What is the basin of a river?

- It is the total land area drained by a river and its tributaries.

- All rivers have a river basin.

- The term watershed is sometimes used to refer to the boundary of a drainage basin, but this term can also refer to the entire system of waters contributed to a river, so the preferred term for the boundary is drainage divide.

- The basin acts as a giant filtering system, absorbing moisture into the ground and releasing it slowly into the river.

- The health and quality of a river directly depends on the water supply in its basin, which is why understanding the factors affecting basin health is critical for conservation efforts.