Flood Management

Question 1

Name 4 flood management strategies in an MEDC

Answer 1

• river straightening/widening
• levees
• dams/flood barriers
• controlling land use
• flood warnings from environmental agency’s
• planting trees/vegetation in and around flood plains
• evacuation plans and emergency aid
• sand bags

Question 2

Name 4 flood management strategies in LEDCs

Answer 2

• mud embankments
• houses raised on stilts
• sluice gates
• cluster villages on raised grounds

Question 3

Describe disadvantages to hard engineering strategies

Answer 3

• usually unsustainable
• not cost effective
• use up resources
• damage the environment
• short term

Question 4

Describe advantages of soft engineering strategies

Answer 4

• usually sustainable
• cost effective
• does not damage the environment
• Long term

Question 5

Is dam construction hard or soft engineering, and explain why/why not this is sustainable

Answer 5

Hard

Not sustainable because

• expensive
• sediments are often trapped behind the wall leading to erosion
• sediments or agricultural land may be lost

Question 6

Is river engineering hard or soft engineering and why/why not is it sustainable

Answer 6

Hard

Not sustainable
-alternating river channel may lead to a greater risk of flooding downstream-water carried faster

Question 7

Is afforestation hard or soft engineering? And why/why not is it sustainable?

Answer 7

Soft

Is sustainable
Trees planted near river=greater interception of rainwater and lower discharge
-low cost option - enhance the environmental quality of the drainage basin

Question 8

Is managed flooding(ecological flooding) hard or soft engineering? And why/why not is it sustainable?

Answer 8

Soft

Is sustainable
-rivers allowed to flood naturally in places, to prevent flooding in other areas near settlements

Question 9

Is planning hard or soft engineering? And why/why not is it sustainable?

Answer 9

Soft

Is sustainable
-reduces chances of flooding and the risk of damage to property

Is not sustainable
-enforcing planning can be harder in LEDCs

Question 10

How does flooding affect people in local communities?

Answer 10

• people drowning (LEDCs)

- homes destroyed

Question 11

How does flooding affect local businesses?

Answer 11

• have to close and clear up the water which contains alluvium and vegetation
• loss of income

Question 12

How does flooding affect emergency services?

Answer 12

• strain on fire services for rescuing people

- big expense on having to pay overtime worker

Question 13

How does flooding affect insurance companies?

Answer 13

They will need to increase everyone else insurance premium

Question 14

How does flooding affect farmers?

Answer 14

• crops are destroyed
• can put farmers out of business
• animals/life stock drown
• loss of income

Question 15

How does flooding affect the environmental agency?

Answer 15

• criticised by public for insufficient defence
• strain on them to improve/invent new defences
• don’t know where to start
• don’t have enough money to improve every issue

Question 16

Who are the environment agency?

Answer 16

Government department that manage floods

Question 17

What is the different between arable and pastoral farmers?

Answer 17

Arable farmer- crops

Pastoral farmer- life stock

Question 18

What is a levee?

Answer 18

A man made embankment along both sides of a river

Question 19

2 pros and a con for levees

Answer 19

Pros

• quick cheap
• embankment means that the river channel can hold more water, reducing risk of flooding

Con
-if levees fail it can cause catastrophic flooding

Question 20

Are levees hard or soft engineering?

Answer 20

Hard