Flood Management

Question 1

What are the soft engineering methods?

Answer 1

• afforestation in drainage basin
• contour ploughing and strip farming in semi-arid areas (reduce surface runoff)
• floodplain zoning (marked off areas)
• river restoration schemed (back to original state)
• wetland and river bank conservation schemes
• forecasting floods and warnings

Question 2

What are the hard engineering methods?

Answer 2

• banks and channel made to carry a higher discharge - raised and straightened
• dams and weirs
• diversion channels
• dredging (deeper channel)
• height of floodplain increased
• retention basins and balancing lakes (water to go during high discharge)