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Flooding in rivers

Rivers, especially big ones, can cause a lot of mayhem. When they flood, they destroy
livelihoods, cause economic damage and kill people. Its no surprise then that humans, being
the clever creatures that we are, try and stop rivers from flooding using whatever resources we
have. Unfortunately, rivers, like most things in nature, are powerful & unpredictable. Stopping
rivers from flooding full stop isnt possible but we can do a lot to mitigate and manage the risks that
arise from flooding. (Jackson, n.d.)

Predictability:

1. Scientists are now using high-tech solutions to provide real-time forecast of the
dangers of river floods caused by climate change and human activities to help avoid
disasters.

Not all countries are equal in the face of floods. To provide support for the variety of
scenarios encountered, the RAMWASS research project developed a tool for gauging and
managing the dangers of floods in specific river zones. The system can also be used for
preventing floods caused by climate change and human activities. It was tested for the Elbe river,
Germany, the Po River in Italy and the Donana marshes in Spain. But it could be applied anywhere
in the world.

To simulate and predict floods this so-called decision support system (DSS) relies on
environmental data from satellites, sensors and information from the ground, computer
simulation and artificial intelligence tools. "The outputs from the DSS are 3-D models of results
and hydraulic maps with water speeds, flows and elevations and risk maps and flood times,"
Javier Piazzese said. He coordinated the project while at CIMNE (Centre Internacional de Mtodes
Numrics en Enginyeria), a research organisation in Barcelona, Spain.

"The results are shown using a geographical information system developed by CIMNE
and available online." Piazzese adds. Its up-to-the-minute specificity is attractive "The quasi-real-
time approach is also needed, because emergency responders are often dealing with outdated
information, especially when river characteristics change during, and because of, the flood,"
comments Ilan Kelman, researcher at the Center for International Climate and Environmental
Research in Oslo, Norway, who was not involved in the project.

This approach also presents the advantage of providing low cost flood risk management.
"The use of numerical modelling tools can help governments and funding agencies to quantify,
delimit and manage flood risk areas with a relatively low-cost," according to research engineer
Pablo Tassi at Paris-based power company EDF (Elctricit de France), who is not connected to the
project.

This risk management can be extended to the future. "In the long term, this kind of
research/tools can help governments and funding agencies to test 'what-if' failure scenarios for
flood protection that could lead to effective mitigation actions to protect people, private property
and public infrastructure during the occurrence of extreme events."

Reference: youris.com. (2012, October 29). River floods predicted using new
technology. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 15, 2017 from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121029081344.htm

2. Identifying a river catchment (River catchment- that is the area of land that feeds
water into the river and the streams that flow into the main river). Use a map or atlas to
identify a major river near to where you live, and use tracing paper to identify and draw its
source (where it begins) and its mouth (where it ends). Then trace on the streams, brooks
and smaller rivers that feed into your main river - these are called the tributaries. The
source of each of these tributaries marks one point on the boundary of the river - joining
these points up shows the approximate limits of the catchment area of your river.

Reference: (n.d.). Retrieved April 16, 2017, from


http://www.sln.org.uk/geography/enquiry/we30.htm

EXTENT:

Flooding can turn even the most harmless looking watercourse into a raging torrent of
large-scale destruction - buildings may prove no obstacle to its power; food crops may be ruined
leading to food shortages and even starvation; peoples lives may be lost through drowning
disease and homelessness.

The larger the river, the more land it receives water from, and the less flashy its flood
behavior. Great Rivers integrate the water events over a large area as well as a long time period.
The term integrate is from the Latin integrare, to make whole. It means to bring parts together to
make a whole. A Great River will integrate the condition of its catchment (i.e., forested, urban, clean,
polluted, steep, flat), the precipitation events that have taken place there over some period of time,
the effects of human-built structures such as dams or levees, and any other factors that influence
runoff and flow. When a Great River floods, the flood usually builds relatively slowly and lasts over
a long period of time.
Solution:

1. River engineers may build artificial flood banks, straighten the river course,
or dredge the riverbed to make it deeper. All of these methods of control can work,
although they often have a negative effect on the river as a habitat.

Nature's Role in the Solution

There is a better way. Nature can play a key role alongside seawalls or dams and levees.
Here's how:

Floodplains by Design: We are safer when rivers have more room during floods because
floodwaters can disperse and slow down rather than rise, rage and threaten communities.

2. Flood management strategies generally involve multiple engineering projects that can fall
under one of two categories. Hard engineering projects are ones that involve the
construction of artificial structures that, through a combination of science,
technology and a bit of brute force, prevent a river from flooding. Soft
engineering projects are the opposite. These projects use natural resources and local
peoples knowledge of the river to reduce the risk posed by a flood.

Hard Engineering Techniques

2.a Dams

Dams are the classic hard engineering solution to flooding problems. A dam is a giant wall
built across a rivers channel to impede its flow. Water builds up behind the dam and
forms a reservoir which can then be steadily drained at a controlled rate over time.
This helps keep discharge downstream of the dam low even during prolonged heavy
rainfall.
2.b (Artificial) Leves

2Artificial leves are, well, artificial versions of their natural counterparts. They act as
embankments, essentially extending the channels height and increasing its bankfull
discharge. Unlike natural leves, artificial leves are significantly larger and are generally
constructed out of a material like concrete that is resistant to erosion. The main advantage of an
artificial leve is that it allows the floodplain to be built on.

2.c Wing Dykes

Wing dykes are slats that are placed in a rivers channel at ~90 to the banks. Generally theyll
be placed in pairs on either side of the channel with a gap between them that allows boats to
pass through them. Behind dykes, sediment builds up and the channel is narrowed, forcing
water to flow faster. This helps reduce the risk of flooding by getting water away from an area at
risk of flooding as quickly as possible, preventing a build up of water. They also aid navigation
greatly. While wing dykes reduce the risk of flooding in one area, downstream of a river they can
increase the risk of flooding making them only useful in sparsely populated areas.

2.d Channel Straightening

This technique kind of speaks for itself. By blocking off meanders and constructing
alternate, straighter routes across meanders, the river starts to flow faster. Like with wing
dykes, this moves water through the river faster preventing it from pooling and so reducing the risk
of a flood. A straightened channel is faster to navigate too, a nice benefit of channel straightening.

2.e Diversion Spillways

Diversion spillways are artificial channels that a river can flow into when its discharge rises.
These channels move water around an area at risk of flooding and send it either back into the river
(but further downstream) or into another river. Spillways generally have floodgates on them that
can be used to control the volume of water in the spillway.

Soft Engineering Techniques

2.f Floodplain Zoning

Floodplain zoning involves placing restrictions on land usage in the areas surrounding a
river. Essentially, construction is unlimited outside of the floodplain but the floodplain itself is
limited to the construction of public outdoor facilities like playing fields and parks. This has several
effects in reducing the risk and impact of flooding. Obviously if no one is allowed to build on a
floodplain then the damage caused by the river flooding will be greatly reduced because there isnt
much to damage.

2.g Afforestation

Afforestation involves the planting of trees in a drainage basin to increase interception and
storage while reducing surface run off. This reduces a rivers discharge and so makes it less likely to
flood. Afforestation also prevents mass wasting which reduces the amount of soil entering the river
and keeps the rivers capacity high. When combined with floodplain zoning, afforestation can be
very effective at reducing the risk of flooding.

2.h Wetland Restoration

Wetland restoration involves creating conditions that are favorable for the development of
wetlands (marshes or swamps). Wetlands are able to store large volumes of water which helps
to reduce the discharge in a river. Wetlands dont reduce flooding where they are located but rather
downstream of the river. They have the added benefit of creating new habitats for animals and
greatly increasing biodiversity. They reduce the area of land available for farming though which
makes them unpopular among farmers.

2.i River Restoration

River restoration involves restoring a river that has undergone hard engineering back to its
original course. This can involve un-straightening a channel, removing artificial levees, diversion
spillways & wing dykes. This may seem silly as it is going to reintroduce flooding back in the area
where these structures were located but, if this land is no longer valuable, river restoration can help
reduce the risk of flooding downstream.

Reference: Jackson, A. (n.d.). Geography AS Notes. Retrieved April 14, 2017, from
https://geographyas.info/rivers/flood-management/
What causes flooding?

*Run off/overland flow

*infiltration rate

*accumulation space measure of the river that it can accommodate up to 10-50 cm

1. Rainfall

2. Good measure of terrain or morphology

Hydrograph does not tell if it will flood or not

50 yr flood? It can reach a certain level and happens whenever; not or percentage

Infiltration rate- capability to absorb water

Clay = lower IR, high run off

Coarse/sand = being lifted or separated

3. Erosion
4. Once you have erosion, youll have the material load of your river
Two types of M.L- Suspended and bed load
When suspended load arises, the density also rises
5. Erosive power or river

Engineering measures:

1. Building a wall, thus increasing the accommodation space vertically. Yu have to go away the
river usually 50m away the river banks
2. A straight river will give you fast velocity but usually rivers are shaped as U/V or S shape
In a flood type, the flood will go the shortest area doing a straight chain and cutting off the
other sides thus producing an oxbow lake.
Inside the flood plain = you are in danger, the area where the river will expand to
accommodate the flood

River is always going to the coast.


Flooding in coastal areas near the beaches
Causes: Storm surge; large waves; high tide levels; river flooding; other larger scale regional
and ocean scale variations
Storm surge = an abnormal increase of water level in seashores caused by the strong winds
brought by the low pressure at the eye of the storm. These winds push seawater which
leads to its accumulation and abnormal increase in water level heading to the shores.
The resulting surging flood induced by a storm surge is a major cause of casualties and
damages to coastal regions

Storm surge vs. Tsunami


SS. Storm surge hazard is high due to geographical location
ss. Generates an average of 26 tropical cyclones/year
Driving force bagyo

Factors influencing a storm surge: underwater topography; water depth; wind speed;
pressure; storm track

Tsunami
T occur more often than average, but still moderate]Total of 18 tidal waves were classified
as a tsunami since 1749 a total of 4, 868
Driving force- earthquake

Tsunami formation:
Rapid movement of the ocean floor displaces a column of water; aseries of waves travels
outward

Factors why people dont prepare for SS


-Ineffective and inadequate dissemination of information
-No appropriate action
Men stayed behind in their houses
Unfamiliar terms like storm surge to locals
*Unpreparedness + Lack of knowledge = disaster, loss of lives

2 important points
1. Warning
2. Response

Before:

Know if area is at risk and the type of hazards. Decide on an escape route and evacuate

During:

Stay away from floodwaters and monitor news

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