Hard vs Soft engineering

• What are hard engineering methods in river management?

  Man-made structures to control river flow
• What are soft engineering methods in river management?

  Schemes using knowledge of rivers to reduce flooding
• What are the main types of hard engineering methods for rivers?

  • Dams and reservoirs
  • Channel straightening
  • Embankments
  • Flood relief channels
• What is the purpose of dams and reservoirs?

  To store water and control river flow
• What are the disadvantages of dams and reservoirs?

  Expensive to build and maintain
• What happens to farmland due to reservoirs?

  Farmland becomes less fertile due to deposition
• What is channel straightening?

  Removing meanders to create straighter channels
• What is a potential downside of channel straightening?

  Increased flood risk downstream
• What are embankments in river management?

  Raised walls along riverbanks to hold more water
• What is a disadvantage of using embankments?

  They are quite expensive to construct
• What are flood relief channels?

  Channels that divert water around built-up areas
• What is a potential issue with flood relief channels?

  Increased discharge where they rejoin the river
• What are the main soft engineering strategies for flood management?

  • Flood warning and preparation
  • Flood planned zoning
  • Planting trees
  • River restoration
• What is the role of flood warnings issued by the environmental agency?

  To inform people about potential floods
• What is a benefit of flood warnings?

  They give people time to prepare
• What is flood planned zoning?

  Restrictions on building in flood-prone areas
• What is a disadvantage of flood planned zoning?

  Limits expansion of urban areas
• How does planting trees help in flood management?

  It intercepts rainwater and reduces discharge
• What is a potential downside of planting trees in river valleys?

  Less land available for farming and buildings
• What is river restoration?

  Making rivers more natural by removing levees
• What is a benefit of river restoration?

  Reduced flood risk with little maintenance
• What is a potential risk of river restoration?

  Local flood risk can increase
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