Flooding and flood mitigation
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Flip to reveal answersWhen does a river flood?
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All 12 Flashcards — Flooding and flood mitigation
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Question
When does a river flood?
Answer
When **discharge rises above bankfull** so the channel overflows onto the floodplain.
Question
Define flood risk.
Answer
The **probability** of a damaging flood multiplied by the **harm** (damage, lives) it would cause.
Question
What is hard engineering?
Answer
**Built structures** that control the river — dams, levees, flood walls, channel straightening.
Question
What is soft engineering?
Answer
**Natural and planning** approaches — afforestation, floodplain zoning, river restoration, warning systems.
Question
What is a levee, and what does it do?
Answer
A raised embankment that **increases channel capacity**, so more discharge is carried before the river overtops.
Question
What is floodplain zoning?
Answer
Land-use planning that **keeps housing off the most flood-prone land**, removing risk at source.
Question
How does channel straightening raise flood risk?
Answer
It speeds the flow, so water reaches **downstream** settlements faster — raising the flood peak there.
Question
How does afforestation reduce flood risk?
Answer
Trees intercept rain and aid infiltration, slowing run-off so the **flood peak is lower and delayed**.
Question
Why can a levee make flooding worse elsewhere?
Answer
It stops the river spreading locally, so more water is carried faster **downstream**, raising the peak there — risk is transferred.
Question
Hard vs soft engineering — one trade-off?
Answer
Hard = powerful but costly and shifts risk; soft = cheaper and sustainable but slower and less certain against extreme floods.
Question
Name two physical factors that raise flood risk.
Answer
Intense rainfall and steep relief (also impermeable geology, a round/compact basin, sparse vegetation).
Question
What does a top [10] mitigation essay need?
Answer
Two+ contrasting measures linked to the flood peak, a named scheme, a weighing of effectiveness vs cost/side-effects, and a clear judgement.
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Flooding and flood mitigation
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