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• How is flood risk being mitigated in the UK, and why are soft-engineering strategies preferred?

  The Environment Agency prefers soft-engineering methods because they are more sustainable and cost-effective. These include restoring natural river meanders, re-establishing absorbent floodplains to hold excess water, and restricting construction near rivers. Hard-engineering solutions are costly and often fail during extreme weather events.
• Why is Cumbria particularly prone to flooding, and what happened during the 2015 event?

  Cumbria is England’s wettest region, but flooding in 2005, 2009, and 2015 suggests changing hydrological patterns. In 2015, Storm Desmond brought 341.5 mm of rain to Honister Pass in 24 hours due to a stationary jet stream and orographic rainfall. Saturated ground, impermeable surfaces, and blocked drains caused severe flooding at confluences like Cockermouth and Carlisle.
• What were the key social impacts of the Cumbria floods in 2005 and 2015?

  Thousands of homes were flooded (3000 in 2005, over 5200 in 2015), with residents forced into temporary housing. Local services like schools, healthcare, and shops were disrupted, and many people experienced stress, anxiety, and trauma due to repeated flooding.
• What were the environmental effects of flooding in Cumbria?

  Flooding caused severe erosion of riverbanks, contamination of rivers with sewage and pollutants, and destruction of habitats. Soils were damaged, ecosystems were altered, and decaying organic matter released harmful gases like hydrogen sulphide, threatening wildlife and food chains.
• How did the Cumbria floods affect the local and national economy?

  Businesses were damaged or closed, transport infrastructure like roads and bridges was destroyed, and total flood costs rose from €100m in 2005 to €400–500m in 2015. Insurance claims nationwide in 2015 exceeded €6 billion. Farmers lost livestock and property, and tourism and property sales declined due to flood risk.
• How does land use change increase flood risk?

  Overgrazing removes forest cover, leaving bare slopes that increase runoff and reduce infiltration. Urbanisation replaces absorbent floodplains with impermeable surfaces. Channel straightening and dredging make rivers carry water more quickly to low-lying areas, increasing peak discharge and reducing lag time.
• How can river mismanagement worsen flood events?

  Hard-engineering schemes, common in Cumbria, are often inadequate for more frequent extreme storms linked to climate change. With land use also changing, these schemes are overwhelmed more easily, making flooding more likely even with smaller events.
• What natural events can also cause flooding?

  Flash flooding in the UK is often triggered by intense summer rain. Monsoon rains in Asia between May and September can cause widespread floods, as seen in the Philippines in 2016. Snowmelt can also lead to flooding if the ground is already saturated, like in Norfolk in 2013.