Flood Management

Hard and Soft engineering: which is the better option?

Hard engineering strategies involve the use of technology in order to control rivers, while soft engineering, adopts a less intrusive form of management, seeking to work alongside natural processes. Hard engineering approaches tend to give immediate results and the river but are expensive. However, in the future, they may make problems worse or create unforeseen ones. Soft engineering is much cheaper and offers a more sustainable option as it does not interfere directly with the river’s flow.
 What’s  more important?

In the aftermath of the 2009 Cumbrian floods, local people were angry that more hadn’t been done to prevent them. They accused the authorities of ‘putting salmon before people’ after their earlier request to lower the river bed by 3 metres in Cockermouth had been turned down because it might harm fish stocks.
The cost of protection

Professor Samuels advises the government on managing rivers. He said ‘It is technically possible to defend places like Cockermouth against extreme events, but only by building huge walls and embankments along the river, which would cost billions and alter the character of the town. For most people, that would be unacceptable as the floods.’

Flood defence on the River Waal -http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/flood-defence-dyke-construction-on-the-river-waal/3253.html

River management the River Mississippi -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/river-management-the-mississippi/3078.html

Hard Engineering

Hard engineering involves building structures to defend places from floodwater. Dams and reservoirs exert a huge degree of control over a river. The natural flow of water is prevented by a dam (often a concrete barrier across the valley), water fills the area behind it and is released or held depending on circumstances such as current and expected rainfall. Dams and reservoirs are normally constructed as part of a multi-purpose project rather than with just a single aim in mind.