Why did most ancient civilizations of the world began around the river?

Because lack of water causes death faster than any other dietary deficiency.

In addition to drinking water, a river also supplies one with a means of transportation, an import/export route, an irrigation resource, and as your society develops, an energy resource (powering mills, etc.).

Let's not forget about waste management. It wasn't all that long ago when the basic alternatives to waste management were: bury it, burn it, or THROW IT IN THE RIVER.

Clean water, food source, waste disposal. Travel and trade. Defensive side.

Often at the lowest crossing point you get a town and bridge. As the building technology improves the town moves downstream to the new lowest bridging point. Trade route.

access to water and food.

Even today once you find a river. Few starve on a river. Food & water there. Next you choose the best place on the river to build. Trade rout a river is. Richer ground to farm, fish & animals need water, Less work to survive on a river.

Because they could irrigate crops. Also trade routes and a way to drink.

Because people prefer to not die of thirst.

Because they could grow food using the rich soil provided by the river. Also the easy and fast access to clean water for bathing, drinking, cleaning and their animals.

Rivers were useful both for agriculture and for transportation.

Before the railroad there was no practical overland transportation for large amounts of freight; the only practical transportation was by water--the oceans, the rivers, lakes and finally canals. Land with no access to water transportation was land locked and valueless.

That old man River, he don't say nothin', but he must know somethin'. He just keep on rollin' along.

The reasons are more than just practice. Anatomically modern humans evolved on a shoreline for a very long time before they emerged from Africa. We crave shorelines. And there are a lot more shorelines on rivers than all the shorelines of oceans and lakes put together.

The practical reasons are in addition to this. Availability of water. Transportation. Waste management. Fertile soil.

fishing and import / export

Rivers give you water to drink and provide water to grow food. They also give a means of transport and animals are often drawn to rivers. This provides another food source,

Water, the source of life. They began near rivers because it wasn't always easy to find water especially in dry places. Water not only quenched their and their animals thrust but also helped them with keeping themselves clean, watering the plants to grow fruit therefore, there was food to satisfy their hunger and of course to water the fields and grow vegetables. Water actually serves many purposes even until today it's just that our ancestors appreciated it more than we do these days because we simply take it for granted.

People need water to survive.

Availability of water for drinking, irrigation and other personal uses. The river banks were comparatively more fertile.

all animals gather where there is water so if you want food (meat) then set up home near fresh water.

Because this was the only way any civilization received goods for sale,
the only way to ship goods for sale and the only transportation available.

Because river is civilization anagramed

Yes.

Because you cannot drink Sand.

That's where the water was. And is.

Access to transportation.

Because the river is where they got water, and you must have water to live.