Despite the devastation caused by flooding, large populations of people in East Asia live near rivers and the coast for all of the reasons below EXCEPT:

Question

Responses

Trade and transportation
Trade and transportation

High agricultural productivity in these areas.
High agricultural productivity in these areas.

Abundant desert landscapes in inland regions.
Abundant desert landscapes in inland regions.

Availability of freshwater resources.

Answer 1

Abundant desert landscapes in inland regions.

People living near rivers and the coast in East Asia do so for trade and transportation, high agricultural productivity, and availability of freshwater resources. The choice that does not fit as a reason is "abundant desert landscapes in inland regions," as it does not directly incentivize living near rivers or coasts but rather describes the environment away from these areas.