Rivers Case Studies
- Created by: joellamanley
- Created on: 14-04-16 18:18
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- Rivers Case Studies
- Causes of Flooding
- Cumbria, UK (2009) (GNP $37,360)
- flooding lasted a week
- total land area flooded was 6000km2
- Physical Causes
- 314mm in 24 hours (heavy rainfall
- 400mm in 72 hours (prolonged rainfall)
- ground already saturated from antecedent rain
- Cockermouth located on floodplain at on a confluence
- Human Causes
- Cockermouth built on a floodplain
- bridge across the river at Gote Road (damming effect)
- Pakistan (2010) (GNP $2,710)
- flooding lasted 3 weeks
- 1/5 of Pakistan's total land area submerged (69,000km2 crop land)
- Physical Causes
- prolonged, heavy rainfall 274mm in 24 hours, more than half normal monsoon fell in a week (not 3 months)
- unusual conditions in jet stream, caused by the sun
- river Indues carries sediment from Himalayas
- Human Causes
- people live close to river for water and fertile soils
- 2/3 depend on farming for income
- levees built were breached and worsened situation
- Swat Valley still damaged by 2005 earthquake
- deforestation in Himalayas
- poor infrastructure so rescue teams struggled recuing
- Cumbria, UK (2009) (GNP $37,360)
- Impacts of Flooding
- Cumbria, UK (2009) (GNP $37360)
- Social
- 500 people staying in shelters or relatives
- death toll: 1
- commutes now increased (from bridges destroyed)
- 5 high schools and 13 primary schools shut
- 1 year on, 150 homes uninhabited and 198 sought psychological help,
- Economic
- 20 road and 200 foot bridges destroyed
- businesses cut off
- total cost of damages £276 million
- 110 farms affected
- 1 year on, 3 bridges not rebuilt
- Social
- 500 people staying in shelters or relatives
- death toll: 1
- commutes now increased (from bridges destroyed)
- 5 high schools and 13 primary schools shut
- 1 year on, 150 homes uninhabited and 198 sought psychological help,
- Social
- insurance claims totalled £100 million
- tourism lost £15 million, £2.5 in cancelled bookings
- Social
- Pakistan (2010) (GNP $2,710)
- Social
- 20 million injured or made homless
- death toll: 2,000
- 10 million drinking unsafe water
- damage to bridges and health care services reduced aid to millions
- 11,000 schools damaged and disrupted
- more affected than 2001 tsunami and 2010 Haitian earthquake combined
- waterborne illnesses (diarrhoea, cholera), malaria and malnutrition increased
- Economic
- 100s of bridges and 200 health facilities damaged
- damage to bridges and health care services reduced aid to millions
- total economic cost £10 million
- farming severly hit, Pakistan previously 4th largest producer of cotton
- 80% fields waterlogged, 1.2 million livestock and 6 million poultry lost
- 100s of bridges and 200 health facilities damaged
- Social
- Cumbria, UK (2009) (GNP $37360)
- Hard Engineering River Management
- The Three Gorges Dam, China (1994-2009)
- largest dam in the world, 2.3km long and 1km wide
- cost £25 billion to build
- Advantages
- (predicted) 10% of China's electricity provided, decreasing coal burning by 40 million tonnes/year,
- reducing carbon emissions by 120 million tonnes/year
- reduces risks of flooding downstream, saving millions of lives
- navigation and trade up Yangtzeeriver increased
- jobs created through construction and maintenance
- (predicted) 10% of China's electricity provided, decreasing coal burning by 40 million tonnes/year,
- Disadvantages
- instead of 10%, only 3% of electricity comes from HEP
- (predicted) 10% of China's electricity provided, decreasing coal burning by 40 million tonnes/year,
- reducing carbon emissions by 120 million tonnes/year
- (predicted) 10% of China's electricity provided, decreasing coal burning by 40 million tonnes/year,
- reservoir flooded 1 million homes, as well as fertile farmland
- 1000s of historical sites submerges
- millions will die in an eartearthquake
- silt trapped behind dam makes erosion greater downstream
- wildlife threatened, including the extinction of the Baiji (river dolphin)
- instead of 10%, only 3% of electricity comes from HEP
- The Three Gorges Dam, China (1994-2009)
- Soft Engineering River Management
- River Quaggy, London
- 17km long, a tributary of the River Thames
- the QWAG set up in 1990 initially to prevent flood alleviation scheme
- the river had channel modification and the area became derelict and run down
- the QWAG set up in 1990 initially to prevent flood alleviation scheme
- in 2002, QWAG organised to bulldoze 300m of the modified channel at Chinbrook Meadows
- new floodplains set up, as well as an underground culvert, so water flows freely across Sutcliffe Park
- more wildlife by the river and it has become a tourist attraction with more people getting involved in its conservation
- River Quaggy, London
- Causes of Flooding
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