Unit 1 - Essays - Flood Reduction and Prevention SIMPLE ENGLISH UPDATED Flashcards
“With the Aid of an Example, Assess the Extent to Which It Is Possible to Reduce the Impacts of River Floods” SIMPLE ENGLISH
Paragraph 1: How Bad Is Flooding in Bangladesh?
Main Points (Explain in simple terms)
Bangladesh floods every year. Some floods are small, but others cover most of the country.
Floods happen for different reasons:
Monsoon floods – Too much rain makes rivers overflow.
Flash floods – Heavy rain in nearby countries (like India) causes sudden flooding.
Coastal floods – Storms from the sea push water onto land.
Evidence & Simple Explanation
Every year, 20–30% of Bangladesh is underwater, but in bad years (1998, 2004), over 60% of the country was flooded.
1998 flood:
Flood lasted 70 days – People lost homes and had no food.
30 million people had to leave their homes.
$2 billion in damage – Roads, farms, and buildings were destroyed.
Different places are affected differently:
Cities like Dhaka: Water stays on streets, stopping transport and damaging homes.
Villages and farms: Crops and animals die, causing food shortages.
Link to the Question
Floods in Bangladesh are very serious and happen often.
Because floods are so big, it is impossible to stop them completely.
Paragraph 2: Hard Engineering – Building Defenses to Stop Floods
Main Points
Hard engineering means building things to stop or control floods.
Bangladesh has built over 7,000 km of embankments (walls along rivers) to stop water from spreading.
There are also large flood control projects, like the Flood Action Plan (FAP).
Evidence & Simple Explanation
Sometimes, embankments help because they stop water from reaching villages and farms.
But they are not perfect – They can break when too much water pushes against them.
In the 2004 flood, 300 embankments broke, making flooding even worse.
Embankments also cause problems over time:
They stop rivers from flowing naturally, causing mud to build up, which makes future floods worse.
Some areas have good embankments, but others don’t:
Cities have stronger defenses, but poor villages often have weak embankments that break easily.
Link to the Question
Building flood defenses helps in some places, but they don’t always work.
They cost a lot of money and need repairs, so they are not a perfect solution.
Paragraph 3: Soft Engineering – Using Nature and Warnings to Reduce Damage
Main Points
Soft engineering means working with nature instead of fighting it.
Bangladesh has used soft engineering solutions, like:
Mangrove forests – Trees along the coast that block storm waves.
Flood warnings – Alerts sent to people before a flood happens.
Floating farms and raised homes – Ways to live with floods instead of trying to stop them.
Evidence & Simple Explanation
Mangrove forests help stop storm floods.
In 2007, Cyclone Sidr hit Bangladesh, but mangroves helped reduce the damage.
Better warning systems save lives.
In 1970, Cyclone Bhola killed 300,000 people because there was no warning.
In 2020, Cyclone Amphan killed only 128 people because of better warnings.
Floating farms in flood-prone areas help people continue farming even during floods.
Farmers use bamboo and floating plants to grow crops on water.
Link to the Question
Soft engineering is cheaper and more natural than building embankments.
It helps people live with floods instead of trying to stop them completely.
Paragraph 4: The Future – Climate Change and More People Moving to Cities
Main Points
Climate change is making flooding worse.
More people are moving to cities like Dhaka, where floods cause bigger problems.
Bangladesh is working on a big long-term plan to protect itself.
Evidence & Simple Explanation
Scientists predict sea levels could rise by 0.5 to 1.5 meters by 2100.
This means 10 million people in coastal areas could lose their homes.
More people are moving to Dhaka, but many live in poor areas without strong flood protection.
Bangladesh has a long-term plan called the “Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100”.
It focuses on flood control, warning systems, and protecting important areas.
But this plan needs a lot of money and help from other countries.
Link to the Question
Flooding will get worse in the future, so new solutions are needed.
Bangladesh is trying to prepare, but it is difficult to protect everyone.
Conclusion
Flooding in Bangladesh is a very big problem that cannot be completely stopped.
Some things, like embankments, help in certain places, but they are not a perfect solution.
Soft engineering, like planting trees and using flood warnings, helps reduce deaths and damage.
Climate change will make flooding worse, so Bangladesh must keep improving its flood management.
Flood impacts can be reduced, but people will always have to find new ways to live with floods.
‘Soft engineering is more effective than hard engineering in the prevention of river floods.’ With the aid of examples, how far do you agree? SIMPLE ENGLISH
Body Paragraph 1: Soft Engineering Helps in the Long Term
Main Idea: Soft engineering reduces flood risk by working with nature. It is better for the environment and costs less money.
How it Works:
Afforestation → Planting trees helps absorb water and slows down rain reaching the river.
Floodplain zoning → Keeping buildings away from rivers so floods do less damage.
River restoration → Letting rivers follow natural paths instead of forcing them into straight channels.
Example – Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, floodplain zoning and river restoration help manage floods.
This allows floodwaters to spread naturally, reducing damage in rural areas.
But, in Bangladesh, over 140 million people live on floodplains, so moving people away from rivers is very difficult.
Evaluation (Good and Bad Sides of Soft Engineering):
Good: Soft engineering helps reduce floods over time and is better for the environment.
Bad: It takes many years to work, and in very crowded places (like Bangladesh), it is not always possible.
Body Paragraph 2: The Problems with Soft Engineering
Main Idea: Soft engineering takes too long to work, so it is not enough for serious floods.
Example – Bangladesh 1998 Floods
The 1998 floods lasted for over two months and covered two-thirds of the country.
30 million people were affected, and damages were over $3 billion.
Bangladesh had some soft engineering (trees, embankment realignment), but these methods could not stop such a big flood.
Why Soft Engineering Didn’t Work Here:
Bangladesh is a very low country, mostly below 10m above sea level.
Monsoon rains bring huge amounts of water, too much for soft engineering alone to control.
Evaluation:
Good: Soft engineering helps prevent small floods and reduces damage over time.
Bad: It does not work quickly enough for extreme floods like the 1998 disaster in Bangladesh.
Body Paragraph 3: Hard Engineering Provides Fast Protection
Main Idea: Hard engineering is very effective for stopping floods quickly and protecting towns.
How it Works:
Dams and embankments → Stop rivers from flooding nearby areas.
Flood relief channels → Carry extra water away from towns.
Example – Boscastle 2004 Floods
Heavy rain (89mm in two hours) caused a flash flood.
After this, the UK government spent £10 million to build:
Higher riverbanks
Wider river channels
Better drainage systems
These changes helped protect the village from future floods.
Comparison to Bangladesh:
In Boscastle, hard engineering was a good solution because it is a small village with few people.
In Bangladesh, hard engineering is more difficult and expensive because it needs to cover a huge area.
Evaluation:
Good: Hard engineering gives fast protection and saves people and businesses.
Bad: It costs a lot of money and needs constant repairs.
Body Paragraph 4: The Problems with Hard Engineering
Main Idea: Hard engineering can make things worse in some places and costs too much.
Example – Bangladesh 1998 Floods
Bangladesh built 7,000 km of embankments to stop floods.
Some embankments broke, causing worse flooding in some areas.
1,000+ people died, and 17 million lost their homes.
Why Hard Engineering Has Problems:
Expensive → Poorer countries like Bangladesh cannot afford large flood protection systems.
Causes other problems → Dams stop rivers from flowing naturally, which can increase floods downstream.
Example – Boscastle
The Boscastle flood defences work, but they have changed the way the river flows.
Some scientists worry this could increase flood risks in other areas.
Evaluation:
Good: Hard engineering works fast and is strong.
Bad: Very expensive and sometimes causes more flooding later.
Conclusion
Both soft and hard engineering have good and bad sides.
Hard engineering works quickly (Boscastle) but costs a lot and can cause problems later (Bangladesh).
Soft engineering is better for the future (Bangladesh) but takes a long time to work.
The best solution is to use both together:
Hard engineering for immediate protection.
Soft engineering for long-term flood management.
Flood prevention should always consider location, cost, and how long it will take to work.
