Floods

Question 0

Regulation:

Minimum Platform Level

Answer 0

• Raising platform levels to a minimum level to reduce risk of it being flooded over in an event of a flood
• minimum requirement of 1m in SG for crest for underground MRT stations, water fabrication plants and high ventilation areas

ADVANTAGES: Reduce risks of lives lost. Reduces damage caused by floods. (All in the first card)
DISADAVANTAGES: The MPL would always be changing due to different flood levels (depends on statistics)

Question 1

Regulation:

Zoning

Answer 1

• placing different buildings, farms, etc. at different places around a river
• homes are more vulnerable to flooding as compared to industrial and commercial buildings, hence they placed in less vulnerable areas
• critical facilities are located outside flood-prone areas so they can operate during a flood event
• done in Queensland, Australia

ADVANTAGES: results in significant reduction if damages to properties. Reduce risk of lives lost in event of a flood. Preserves environmentally sensitive areas, which can be habitats for flora and fauna
DISADVANTAGES: Expensive. Dependent on land constraint or availibility. Some things rely heavily on the physical environment like fisheries and could be affected during zoning.

Question 2

Investment in Infrastructure:

Levees/Flood Walls/Channel Improvement

Answer 2

• Levees: a form of bank protection to raise banks and increase the water carrying capacity of a water body (in USA)
• Flood Walls: sometimes automatic walls that come upmwhen water has raised to a certain level during a flood. Built to prevent underground/low-lying areas from flooding
• Channel Improvement: increases velocity of water so that flood water can flow away quickly. Smoothen bed and bank. Increases water carrying capacity.

DISADVANTAGES: Expensive. Artificial infrastructure may lead to severe disasters. Flood walls/levees may lead to flooding downstream as large amounts of water are channeled quickly to other areas

Question 3

Disaster Preparedness:

Monitoring and Peprediction/Evacuation Drills

Answer 3

• building evacuation and evacuation assembly
• building of maps for emergency exits/evacuation routes
• putting on life jackets and practicing water safety
• moving to higher ground

DISADVANTAGES: Expensive to set up agencies to monitor and predict floods.
Evacuate Plan: difficult to carry out as some people might not want to evacuate and leave their valuebles (esp in LEDCs)