Prevention of Flood

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C H A P T E R 04
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1. Flood Proofing
Floods are a natural event and only become a hazard when they affect
people of property. People have chosen to build their homes close to the river and
can take precautions such as:
 house design which raises the floor level above normal flood heights;
 interior room design which minimizes flood damage, e.g. tiled floors;
 light furniture which can be quickly and easily moved upstairs should a
flood occur;
 Removable flood walls that can be opened in summer to provide a river
view.
Local authorities are now controlling the location of new buildings and the
construction methods used, so that buildings are able to cope with floods when
they occur.
2. Dams and Reservoirs
Built upstream for hydro-electricity and to regulate river flow. The aim is to
help prevent flooding and to release water gradually in times of low rainfall in
order to make the river navigable all year round.
Dams are multipurpose schemes which:
 control flooding  increase afforestation
 provide a water supply  reduce soil erosion
 produce hydro-electricity  encourage industry
 improve navigation  encourage tourism
3. Flood Retention Basins and Impounding Dams:
'Impounding Dams' are valleys filled with water which provide drinking
water, produce electricity or supplement low flows. The water stored in
impounding dams is drawn off from flood waters and during flood periods the
water is merely moved for a time from one place to another. 'Flood Retention
Basins' are only filled with water during periods of flood, after which they are
emptied in order to be ready for the next flood.
Priodeep Chowdhury, Lecturer, Dept. of CEE, Uttara University.//

Flood Mitigation & Management.
4. Increasing the Height of the Levees
It has been suggested that higher embankments should be built and the river
deepened but, where this has been done, (e.g. the Mississippi) it has produced
rivers flowing many meters above the surrounding floodplain. As the levee is
built up, sediment in the river grows too; the river beds – and the water levels rise.
This leads to disaster when the barriers collapse.
5. Flood Relief Channels
To siphon off the Rhine flood water when the delta near the sea becomes
overloaded.
6. Making the Course Straighter and Shorter
This aims to get rid of the flood water as quickly as possible. By shortening
the distance, navigation is made easier, but the gradient and therefore the speed of
the river is increased.
7. Afforestation
Trees delay and reduce the amount of water reaching the river.
8. Floodplain Land Use Zoning
Land can be zoned for uses that will not be damaged by winter floods e.g.
pasture, forestry and parks
9. Floating Towns
The Dutch are pioneering floating towns to cope with rising tides and river
flooding. In the short term, however, floating houses are no replacement for
conventional flood defenses.
10. Room for the River
This reflects a new philosophy that humans should adapt to the shape of
river basins that naturally result from flooding histories. This programme is
currently being translated into land use change and relocation of inhabitants and
dykes on certain floodplains. Arable land is being converted to forest, marsh or
wet grazing meadows. Inhabitants are being relocated, with compensation, to
higher elevations, and dykes are being relocated back from the main channel such
that the entire floodplain cross section can accommodate a much larger volume of
water.

Immediate Measures/Steps to be taken (*Considering the Perspective of
Bangladesh)
 An increase in 'water meadows' is to be done which can be allowed to flood
when necessary. The sealing of the soil surface with tarmac or concrete in
vulnerable areas is being limited to slow the water runoff into the rivers.
 Ground coverage of vegetation with woodlands and grasslands is to be
increased.
 The use of fertilizers on soil is be very carefully monitored because these
affect the soil structure and its ability to retain water.
 Adequate maintenance of dykes and flood walls.
 To allow more space for trees on the floodplain, meters of silt accumulated
over many years has been stripped and deep trenches constructed. (See diagram
below).
Natural Flood Management
Natural flood management offers a sustainable approach to managing
floods and is intended to complement traditional "hard engineering" techniques,
such as flood barrier and concrete walls.
These schemes rely on a combination of small-scale interventions with the
aim of reducing the speed of the flow of converging water before it reaches larger
rivers.
Natural flood defense features include small barriers in ditches and fields,
or notches cut into embankments, all of which divert the water into open land.
Letting pools form outside the main channel of the river means the water is
temporarily removed from the main flow reducing the power of the floodwaters.
Trees can also help defend against floods. Planting more trees catches
rainfall and helps take water from the soil - although the Environment Agency
says large areas must be reforested to make a real difference.
Felled trees can also be laid across streams in wooded areas and help push
unusually high waters into surrounding woodlands, although such schemes need
very careful planning and management.
Sustainable Drainage
Sustainable drainage is a concept often applied to towns and cities which
are especially prone to flash flooding after sudden heavy rain.

Fig. : Drainage Management
In urban areas, large areas of concrete and tarmac, as well as the roofs of
buildings, are impermeable to water. Rain is channeled straight into drainage
systems which can quickly become overwhelmed.
In the UK, the Flood Act of 2010 obliges builders to landscape
developments so that water from roofs and driveways seeps into open ground
rather than rushing into the water system. This system can be followed to develop
the present condition.
Sustainable drainage guidelines suggest that impermeable surfaces should
be replaced with permeable material, allowing rainwater to drain into the ground -
a process known as infiltration.
Large "detention basins" can also be built to collect rainwater and hold it,
managing the volume of water entering urban rivers, while ponds offer further
water-holding capacity.


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Priodeep Chowdhury, Lecturer, Dept. of CEE, Uttara University.//

Priodeep Chowdhury, Lecturer, Dept. of CEE, Uttara University.//

Priodeep Chowdhury, Lecturer, Dept. of CEE, Uttara University.//

Priodeep Chowdhury, Lecturer, Dept. of CEE, Uttara University.//

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