Hard and Soft Engineering
- Created by: Georgia_1212
- Created on: 23-04-16 12:52
View mindmap
- Hard Engineering and Soft Engineering.
- Engineering can reduce the risk of flooding or the effects.
- Hard engineering = man made structures built to control the flow of rivers and reduce flooding.
- Soft Engineering = schemes set up using knowledge of the river and its processes to reduce the effects of flooding.
- Hard Engineering.
- Dams and reservoirs.
- Dams (big walls) are built across rivers. A reservoir is formed behind the dam.
- Pros: reservoirs store water which reduces risk of flooding.
- Cons: dams are expensive to build. Creating a reservoir can flood settlements. Eroded material is deposited in the reservoir, not along the natural course so farmland downstream can be less fertile.
- Pros: reservoirs store water which reduces risk of flooding.
- Dams (big walls) are built across rivers. A reservoir is formed behind the dam.
- Channel straightening.
- The rivers channel is straightened by building artificial channels.
- Pros: water moves quicker because it doesn't have to travel as far which reduces the risk of flooding.
- Cons: Flooding may happen downstream of the straightened channel as water can get there quicker. There's more erosion downstream because water is flowing faster.
- Pros: water moves quicker because it doesn't have to travel as far which reduces the risk of flooding.
- The rivers channel is straightened by building artificial channels.
- Dams and reservoirs.
- Soft Engineering.
- Flood warnings.
- Environment Agency warns people about possible flooding through TV, radio, internet and newspapers.
- Pros: impact of flooding reduced- warnings give time for people to move belongings upstairs, place sand bags and evacuate.
- Cons: doesn't stop flood from happening. Living in a place with lots of warnings could make it hard to get insurance. People may not hear/ have access to warnings.
- Pros: impact of flooding reduced- warnings give time for people to move belongings upstairs, place sand bags and evacuate.
- Environment Agency warns people about possible flooding through TV, radio, internet and newspapers.
- Preparation.
- Buildings are modified to reduce amount of damage a flood can cause. People plan what to don in a flood- keep important things upstairs and keep items like torches and blankets in an accessible place.
- Pros: impact of flooding is reduced- building are less damaged, people know what to do. People will worry less.
- Cons: doesn't guarantee safety, could give a false sense of security, expensive to modify homes and business.
- Pros: impact of flooding is reduced- building are less damaged, people know what to do. People will worry less.
- Buildings are modified to reduce amount of damage a flood can cause. People plan what to don in a flood- keep important things upstairs and keep items like torches and blankets in an accessible place.
- Flood plain zoning.
- Restrictions prevent building on parts of the flood plain that are likely to be affected by a flood.
- Pros: risk of flooding reduced by less impermeable surface created. Impact of flooding reduced- no houses or roads that can be damaged.
- Cons: expansion od urban area is limited if there are no other suitable building sites. Can't help areas that have already been built on.
- Pros: risk of flooding reduced by less impermeable surface created. Impact of flooding reduced- no houses or roads that can be damaged.
- Restrictions prevent building on parts of the flood plain that are likely to be affected by a flood.
- 'Do nothing'.
- No money is spent on engineering methods or maintaining existing methods. Flooding is a natural process- people should accept risks of living in areas that can flood.
- Pros: the river floods and eroded material is deposited on the flood plain which makes farmland more fertile.
- Cons: risk of flooding and impacts aren't reduced. A flood will probably cause a lot of damage.
- Pros: the river floods and eroded material is deposited on the flood plain which makes farmland more fertile.
- No money is spent on engineering methods or maintaining existing methods. Flooding is a natural process- people should accept risks of living in areas that can flood.
- Flood warnings.
Comments
No comments have yet been made