Soft Engineering

Question 1

What are the types of soft engineering?

Answer 1

• Flood warnings and preparation
• Flood plain zoning
• Afforestation (planting trees)
• River restoration

Question 2

What are the social benefits of flood warnings and preparation?

Answer 2

• makes people feel more secure and in control
• people protect their valuables earlier
• ensures peoples safety

Question 3

What are the economic benefits of flood warnings and preparation?

Answer 3

• cheap

* don’t have to invest in high cost engineering

Question 4

What are the social costs of flood warnings and preparation?

Answer 4

• only effective is people listen
• education needed
• not everyone has access
• not helpful in areas prone to flooding

Question 5

What are the economic costs of flood warnings and preparation?

Answer 5

• insurance costs increase

* houses harder to sell

Question 6

What are the social benefits of flood plain zoning?

Answer 6

• risk of flooding reduced

* provides green space

Question 7

What are the economic benefits of flood plain zoning?

Answer 7

• low cost

Question 8

What are the environmental benefits of flood plain zoning?

Answer 8

• traditional water meadows are protected
• cows may graze when not flooded
• provides green space

Question 9

What are the social costs of flood plain zoning?

Answer 9

• limited impact
• difficult to get planning permission to extend or rebuild homes
• restricted housing supply

Question 10

What are the economic costs of flood plain zoning?

Answer 10

• housing prices inflate due to restricted supply

* difficult to obtain planning permission

Question 11

What are the environmental costs of flood plain zoning?

Answer 11

• habitats are destroyed due to increased building on greenfield sites

Question 12

What are the social benefits of afforestation?

Answer 12

• reduces water downstream

* increases biodiversity

Question 13

What are the economic benefits of afforestation?

Answer 13

• relatively inexpensive as EU grants are available

Question 14

What are the environmental benefits of afforestation?

Answer 14

• more CO2 is absorbed

* increases biodiversity

Question 15

What are the social costs of afforestation?

Answer 15

• loss of potential growing land

* changes in appearance

Question 16

What are the economic costs of afforestation?

Answer 16

• loss of potential grazing land

Question 17

What are the environmental costs of afforestation?

Answer 17

• changed appearance means that countryside looks more artificial
• loss of potential grazing land

Question 18

What are the social benefits of river restoration?

Answer 18

• increased water storage areas reduces risk of flooding downstream
• aesthetically pleasing

Question 19

What are the economic benefits of river restoration?

Answer 19

• visitor numbers increase

Question 20

What are the environmental benefits of river restoration?

Answer 20

• new wetland habitat

* increases biodiversity

Question 21

What are the social costs of river restoration?

Answer 21

• loss of agricultural land and flooding of crops

* not always effective or practical

Question 22

What are the economic costs of river restoration?

Answer 22

• loss of agricultural land and flooding of crops
• can be expensive
• not always effective

Question 23

What are the environmental costs of river restoration?

Answer 23

• loss of agricultural land