hard vs soft engineering P1

• What type of engineering involves man-made structures to control river flow and reduce flooding?

  Hard engineering
• What type of engineering uses knowledge of a river and its processes to reduce flooding effects?

  Soft engineering
• Where are dams usually built along a river?

  In the upper course
• What is the artificial lake formed behind a dam called?

  A reservoir
• What are the benefits and drawbacks of using dams and reservoirs for flood control?

  Benefits:

  • Store water
  • Control water flow
  • Prevent floods downstream

  
  

  Drawbacks:

  • Expensive to build and maintain
  • Material deposited in reservoir, reducing farmland fertility
• What happens to farmland due to material deposition in reservoirs?

  It becomes less fertile
• What is the term for removing meanders to create straighter, artificial channels?

  Channel straightening
• What is a drawback of channel straightening?

  Flood risk may happen downstream
• What are raised walls built along riverbanks called?

  Embankments
• What is a benefit of using embankments?

  Less frequent floods happen
• What is a drawback of using embankments?

  Quite expensive and severe flood risk
• What are channels built to divert water around built-up areas called?

  Flood relief channels
• What is the function of gates on flood relief channels?

  Control the release of water
• What is a consequence of using flood relief channels?

  Increased discharge where channel rejoins river
• Which agency issues flood warnings?

  The environmental agency
• What actions can residents take based on flood warnings?

  Prepare sandbags and floodboards
• What is a limitation of flood warnings?

  They don't actually prevent the flood
• What is a disadvantage of modifying buildings for flood preparedness?

  It is expensive
• What are restrictions on building in flood-prone areas called?

  Flood planned zoning
• What is a benefit of flood plain zoning?

  Reduced impact of flooding
• What is a disadvantage of flood plain zoning?

  Limited expansion of urban areas
• How does planting trees in a river valley help reduce flood risk?

  Can intercept any rain water
• What is a limitation of planting trees for flood control?

  Less land available for farming
• What is the process of making a river more natural called?

  River restoration
• What is a method used in river restoration?

  Removing man-made levees
• What is a benefit of river restoration?

  Reduced flood risk
• What is a drawback of river restoration?

  Local flood risk can increase