Unit 1 - Essays - Impact of River Floods SIMPLE ENGLISH UPDATED Flashcards
‘River flooding impacts people more than it impacts the environment.’ With the aid of examples, how far do you agree?
🔹 Paragraph 1 – People hurt badly in Bangladesh (1998)
Main idea:
In Bangladesh, floods caused huge problems for people for a long time.
Facts to use:
75% of the country was underwater
30 million people had to leave their homes
Over 1,000 people died
$2.8 billion in damage
700,000 hectares of crops were destroyed
Diseases spread (cholera, diarrhoea)
Roads and bridges were broken
Many people had no clean water or food
Why it matters:
Poor countries like Bangladesh can’t protect people easily.
The problems lasted for months or even years.
Floods affected people’s health, homes, food, money, and safety.
The damage was over a large area and didn’t go away quickly.
🔹 Paragraph 2 – People also hurt in Boscastle (2004)
Main idea:
In Boscastle (UK), the flood was smaller but still caused serious problems for people.
Facts to use:
60 mm of rain fell in 2 hours
River overflowed suddenly
58 houses were damaged
Over 100 cars were washed away
Main bridge collapsed
1,000 people were affected
7 helicopters rescued people
Local businesses (tourism) lost money
Why it matters:
Even in rich countries, people can suffer from floods.
The flood caused fear and stress.
It didn’t last long, but it caused big problems very quickly.
Showed that people can be in danger even in safe-looking places.
🔹 Paragraph 3 – Nature in Bangladesh: some harm, some help
Main idea:
The environment in Bangladesh was hurt in some ways, but also helped in other ways.
Facts to use:
Crops were drowned
Soil was waterlogged (too wet to grow things)
Dirty water (sewage and chemicals) hurt fish and plants
Some animals lost their homes
But: flood left behind alluvium (rich soil)
This helped farmers grow better crops later
Wetlands and fish habitats increased for a while
Why it matters:
Floods can be bad for nature—but nature can also bounce back.
Sometimes floods help the environment too.
The damage to nature is often not forever.
🔹 Paragraph 4 – Nature in Boscastle: short-term damage
Main idea:
The flood changed nature for a short time, but the environment recovered quickly.
Facts to use:
Riverbanks eroded (worn away)
Trees were pulled out
Soil and rocks were moved
River habitats were messed up
But: plants and animals came back in a few months
The area is used to rain and floods, so nature fixed itself
Why it matters:
The damage to nature was not very big or long-lasting
In places like Boscastle, the environment is strong and recovers quickly
Nature wasn’t as badly affected as the people were
Conclusion – Your Judgement
What to say:
Even though floods affect both people and the environment, people usually suffer more. The damage to homes, health, food, and money can last a long time. Nature can sometimes recover faster, and in some places, flooding can even help the environment. So I mostly agree that river flooding hurts people more than it hurts the environment.
