2. Flooding and Floodplain mitigation Flashcards
What does hard engineering refer to?
Management strategies using technology and built infrastructure to regulate river flow, control floods, and manage floodplains.
What is channelization?
A deliberate attempt to alter the natural geometry of a river channel.
How can channelization be achieved?
Through deepening, widening, making straight, realigning channels, and concrete lining banks and beds.
What are some advantages of channelization?
- Increased urban development space
- Flood protection for growing populations
- Important transport routes
What are some disadvantages of channelization?
- Loss of unique wetland ecosystems
- Loss of natural pollutant filtering
- Pollution from phosphate and nitrate run-off
What is the purpose of large-scale dams?
To store water in reservoirs and provide services like flood defense, energy, and irrigation.
What is the Three Gorges Dam known for?
Reducing flood risk for 10 million people and generating 95 TWh of energy.
What are some advantages of the Three Gorges Dam?
- Produces clean energy
- Protects from floods
- Provides transport and trade routes
What are some disadvantages of large-scale dams?
- Displacement of over 2 million people
- Increased pollution and downstream erosion
- Impact on river ecology
What is the ‘making room for the river’ project in the Netherlands?
A floodplain management strategy that allows rivers to flood naturally rather than containing them behind dykes.
What does lowering the floodplain achieve?
Gives the river more space during high water periods.
What is the purpose of a high water channel?
To divert extra flow during times of high water.
What is floodplain restoration?
The process of restoring floodplains to act as natural stores of flood waters.
What is a well-known example of wetland restoration?
The Kissimmee River in Florida.
What are afforestation schemes used for in flood management?
To slow down surface run-off and reduce flood frequency and magnitude.
What do adaptive strategies in flood management aim to achieve?
Help people cope with flooding and minimize disruption.
Fill in the blank: Dense forest can reduce surface run-off by as much as _______.
40%
What is one method towns use to protect against flooding?
Increasing river banks with sandbags.
What is a strategy for urban zoning in flood management?
Allowing water to flood designated areas like farm fields and parks.
What does soft engineering refer to?
Soft engineering is a natural form of flood mitigation . Afforestation and floodplain restoration are too examples- Often referred to as riparian zones, this technique establishes local vegetation along water banks to create shore stabilization through complex root structures.
