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River Flooding Options

• River flooding is a hazard that has affected people and the environment in the UK for centuries.
• The River Severn experienced major floods in 1740, 1947, 2000, 2007, 2012, 2019, and 2020; the risk of flooding continues to rise. Since 1998, there have been sporadic instances of significant flooding in various parts of the UK, sometimes occurring annually, but not consistently.

Land Use Changes:

• A high population means more people will need homes, and flooding will affect more.
  
• For instance, the ongoing construction of floodplains to accommodate a growing population has placed approximately 2.3 million properties at risk of flooding.
  
• Increased urban development and expansion create more impervious surfaces, increasing surface run-off rates. 
• Even small-scale changes can have an impact, e.g., paving over suburban front gardens.

Climate Change:

• Scientists believe that one reason for the increasing risk of flooding in the UK is changes to weather patterns caused by climate change. 
• Continuously warm weather combined with more intense storms across the UK is causing our climate to rise in temperature.
• One factor is greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide; the behavior of the jet stream has changed in recent years. 
• Lasting storms causing floods in the Arctic have only happened once in 100 years and are linked to climate change and higher levels. Climate change, which has previously caused temperature changes, may link to changes in the jet stream.
• Storm events have risen in the Arctic temperatures. 
• Increasingly happens once every 80. This means people living close to rivers are now likely to be vulnerable to flooding.

Threats to the Environment:

• The destruction of animal habitats negatively impacted fish numbers.
• Lack of clean water. Bees cannot survive for long periods without access to flowers. The high impact on bees has caused problems for farmers with livestock.
• The loss of their food source led to a significant decrease in bee populations, as they were unable to pollinate plants, which ultimately affected other flying creatures.
• Young ground-nesting birds, unable to fly before the floods arrived, are believed to have been unable to survive drowning.
• The elimination of all food sources led to a significant decrease in bee populations, as they were unable to survive.

Threats to People:

• 14 people died. 
• Tourism declined as holiday parks had to close. 
• A flood caused £250k worth of damage to the Kings Head Pub in Upton-on-Severn.
• The West Country cancelled rail services, and the flooded roads prevented the Midlands rail replacement buses from carrying passengers.

River Management Options:

• Water-induced flood damage cost the Sheepote farm in Worcester £250,000 in lost crops. Losses for farmers amount to millions.
• Housing insurance will increase for homes in flooded areas. 
• The swollen Castlemeadow electricity substation left some flooded downstream residents without power.
• Castlemeadow has seen flooding in more than 48,000 homes.
• People reported health issues, including the rescue of more than 100 individuals from infections possibly caused by the damp conditions.
• Sickness, asthma, and a bad chest are prevalent in the Gloucestershire and Tewkesbury areas.
• Damage to crops will have a knock-on effect by increasing the price of vegetables in the supermarkets. We expect the total cost for insurance claims and the cleanup operation to reach £6 billion.

Reducing the Chances of Flooding:

• Peak river flows are likely to increase by 20%.
• By 2100, therefore, 68,000 people and 33,000 properties will be at risk. Most at risk live in Severn and Avon towns.
• The Environment Agency makes catchment management plans to look at flood risk. They produce maps to show areas at risk of flooding. 
• The Environment Agency makes catchment management plans to look at flood risk.
• The plan aims to assist the landowners of the Severn River in determining the most sustainable way to manage it. In rural areas, the plan aims to collaborate with landowners to improve land use, reduce runoff, and restore floodplains to enhance water storage.
• In the middle and lower catchment, it is important to prevent inappropriate development on flood plains.
• In urban areas: Reduce surface water flooding, improve some flood defences, and improve the condition of existing flood warning systems. 
• By reducing urban growth, greening, improving drainage systems for longer periods, and afforestation, they may reduce surface water flooding in urban areas.
• Hard engineering: Adapting to the river. We construct man-made structures to protect areas from flood water.
• Soft engineering: Adapting the river. We manage the flood risk by letting natural processes handle the rainwater.

Hard Engineering:

Method Description:	Benefits	Costs £
Flood Walls: Artificial barriers designed to raise the height of the riverbank to hold more water.	- Fast and simple to install. - It stops water from dispersing into regions that have significant effects.	Expensive to build. Water can swiftly escape, yet it has the potential to trigger flooding in the downstream area. They detract from the natural beauty of the surroundings and impede the view.
Embankments: High banks built on or near riverbanks.	Prevent the spread of water into areas where it could potentially cause problems, such as settlements. Blends or grass banks have the potential to cause issues. can be blend or grass banks that can be earth as settlements.	The cost of installation is high, but it's not as costly as the flood walls. If it fails, the surrounding area will experience severe flooding. This is very expensive but clear.
Flood Bars: Floodgates built near a river mouth to prevent a storm surge or spring tide from flooding behind the barrier.	In the event of a predicted high tide or surge, the gates may close. They can prevent flooding in large areas. The effectiveness is contingent upon the reliability of the technology.	Despite its high cost-effectiveness, it requires high maintenance.
Demountable flood barriers: A temporary structure that is only installed when needed.	Protection without changing the landscape.  Easy to install  Flexible + adaptable.	Location specific: Cannot be moved to other areas.  Risk: They may not be installed in time.

 

Soft Engineering:

Understanding Flood Management on the River Severn:

- Sometimes flooding is inevitable, though. At these times, the Environment Agency tried to reduce the impacts on people, land, and property. There are three warning levels: flood alert, flood warning, and severe flood warning.

- They aim to educate people about the hazards of living near floods and keep them aware of what they should be doing. They do this by using the Internet, TV, leaflets, and training exercises. Advice includes electrical sockets that should be fitted 1.5 metres above ground level, avoiding using plastering on the ground floor, using ceramic floor tiles instead of carpet, using the first floor and window frames instead of wood, and using tiles instead of carpets on the first floor.

- All major rivers in the UK have long-term flood risk maps to monitor what the rivers have done, are doing, and may do in the future. The predictions are based on the historical detail.
- The River Severn is experiencing an increasing flood risk due to the rapid rise in floodwaters. To address this issue, we can construct flood walls and increase afforestation to deter future construction on flood plains.