REVISION AS CAMBRIDGE GEOGRAPHY: RIVERS - FLOOD CONTROL

1. AS GEOGRAPHY
HYDROLOGY
4 QUESTIONS
REVISION
FLOOD
CONTROL

2. QUESTION 1
What is channelization?

3. ANSWER
Creating straight, concrete-lined channels.

4. QUESTION 2
How can channelization assist in flood control?

5. ANSWER
It reduces channel friction and increases channel gradient, both of
which mean that water is moved away more quickly towards the sea.

6. QUESTION 3
Why is the use of artificial levees controversial?

7. ANSWER
If they break, they can lead to more dramatic and devastating
flooding.

8. QUESTION 4
Why are dams often multipurpose schemes?

9. ANSWER
They can also supply hydroelectric power, water for irrigation/drinking
and the reservoirs can be used for recreation and leisure.

10. IMPORTANT
The strategies presented in this Power point are “hard engineering”
approaches to the flooding problem, usually expensive to construct and
visually obtrusive.
Cost-benefits analysis allows evaluation of any particular scheme or
strategy.
Costs and benefits are not just financial, but may also be social, visual or
environmental.