Managing flood risk Flashcards
What are flood walls(in Hereford)
Hard strategy used in flood production
High walls built alongside rivers to increase their capacity
What are the disadvantages to flood walls
Costs vary depending on the material used
Unpleasant to the eye and prone to vandalism
Increased floodrisk downstream
What are the advantages to flood walls
Permanent solution
Useful in city centres where space is limited
Disperses water quickly
What is a levee
Hard strategy used in flood production
an embankment built to prevent the overflow of a river.
Increases the rivers water capacity
Disadvantages of Levee
Expensive because of land required
Can eventually fail
Increases flood risk downstream
Advantages of Levees
Looks natural
Reduced risk of flooding and allows people to live and farm beside the river
What is dredging
Hard strategy used in flood production
Deepening and widening rivers to increase capacity
What is afforestation
Soft engineering start used to in flood production
Planting trees to increase interception and reduce throughflow and surface run off
What are the disadvantages of afforestation
Loss of potential farmland
Cost varies depending on the land
Advantages of afforestation
Relatively inexpensive and sustainable solution
Creates habitats for wild life
Gets rid of water that wouldve been in the river channel
What is river channel restoration
Soft engineering start used to in flood production
Returning rivers to their natural state by removing past hard engineering protection restoring meanders and planting trees
Disadvantages of channel restoration
Expensive clearance of existing flood walls
Slows river flow so floods will occur
Advantages of channel restoration
Sustainable solution
Looks natural
Reduces flooding down stream
Wetland ecology supports range of wildlide habitats
