Waterways often provided food, directly with fish or indirectly attracting wildlife, or providing irrigation for crops. Waterways could also provide a means of transportation using boats, allowing trade and exploration, contact with other groups of people and the exchange of ideas. Of course, waterways could provide drinking water for humans & lifestock, and a
water supply to bathe in or wash things. Those civilizations that had
access to water, and a plentiful supply of food, flourished. The Nile was extremely important to the Egyptians, without it they could never have achieved greatness or even prosperity.