GCSE Geography: Rivers 5 - hard/soft engineering

Building structures as a defence against flooding

• Hard engineering

• Soft engineering

Using natural processes to reduce the impacts of flooding

• Hard engineering

• Soft engineering

Advantages of dams and reservoirs

• Store large volumes of water until needed

• Safe places to go swimming

• A natural landscape feature

• Can be used to generate hydro-electric power

Disadvantages of dams and reservoirs

• Expensive to build

• Flooding downstream

• More erosion downstream

• Displacement of people and destruction of natural habitats

Advantages of channelisation

• They look natural

• Allows water to flow more quickly away from areas of flood risk

• Stop water from spreading into areas where it could cause problems e.g. housing

• Cheap

Examples of hard engineering techniques

• Channelisation

• Washlands

• Dams and reservoirs

• Flood plain zoning

Examples of soft engineering techniques

• Channelisation

• Washlands

• Dams and reservoirs

• Flood plain zoning

Barriers constructed to hold back water in artificial lakes

• Washlands

• Flood plain zoning

• Channelisation

• Dams and reservoirs

Deepening and widening the river channel

• Washlands

• Flood plain zoning

• Channelisation

• Dams and reservoirs

Prevents development in areas most prone to flooding next to rivers

• Washlands

• Flood plain zoning

• Channelisation

• Dams and reservoirs