managing floods/hard and soft engineering Flashcards
what’s hard and soft engineering
hard engineering- It involves using man made structures to prevent or control natural processes from taking place
Soft engineering- it involves working with natural river processes to manage the flood risk unlike hard engineering it does not involve building artificial structures
what are dams and reservoirs used for
they are for regulating river flow and reducing the risk of flooding but lots of them are multipurpose for example they will also be used for hydro-electric power generation
What is Channel straightening and what does it do
what kind of engineering is it
It is hard engineering and it involves cutting through meanders to create a straight channel. It speeds up the flow of water along the river. you also line the channel with concrete to make sure the
What are embankments and what do they do
what kind of engineering is it
It is hard engineering and it involves tasing the level of the river bank which allows the channel to hold more water before flooding
What are flood relief channels and what do they do
what kind of engineering is it
It is hard engineering and it involves creating another river channel and during times of high flow, sluice gates can be opened to allow excess water to flow away into the flood relief channel and reduce the threat of flooding
what are wetlands and flood storage areas
They are areas that are deliberately allowed ri flood to form flood storage areas.
What is flood plain zoning
It is when you put different land uses to certain areas locations on the flood plain. For example you would keep housing and industry clear from the flood plain and pasture closer to the flood plain
what is river restoration
It is when the course of a river has changed river restoration can put natural processes of a river back in to slow down the river, for example meanders and wetlands.
