R - Impacts of flooding

Question 1

What are the social impacts of flooding?

Answer 1

• People and animals can be killed
• Floodwater us often contaminated with sewage, which can lead to a lack of clean drinking water
• It can also put people at risk of diseases
• Possessions can be damaged by floodwater or lost
• People can be made homeless as their properties and inundated or damaged

Question 2

What are the economic impacts of flooding?

Answer 2

• Businesses often have to shut down as their premises are inundated and power supplied are affected
• Rescue work and repairs are usually costly - insurance premiums go up after floods
• Unemployment levels often rise as businesses shut down because they can’t recover from flooding
• Public transport, roads and bridges can be destroyed
• Crops can be destroyed - this can lead to a rise in the price of food

Question 3

What are the negative environmental impacts of flooding?

Answer 3

• Floodwater contaminated with sewage and rubbish can pollute rivers
• River banks are eroded

Question 4

What are the positive environmental impacts of flooding?

Answer 4

• River sediment is deposited on the flood plain - this makes the land more fertile
• Wetlands can be created eg marshes and ponds which are habitats for many species

Question 5

What is the difference in impacts for richer vs poorer countries?

Answer 5

SOCIAL - usually higher in poorer countries (flood defenses are poorer, people are less able to evacuate, sanitation systems are poorer and buildings are of poorer quality)
ECONOMIC - (absolute) usually higher in richer countries as they have more high value buildings and infrastructure
(relative) usually higher in poorer countries - the buildings and crops that are damages are worth less money, but this affects the economy more because they have less money to recover form it