Landforms and life 2.1 RIVERS IN FLOOD River floods can cause devastating damage. But in contrast to hurricanes, there is much we can do to prevent them. @ Flood damage Most of the time, the water flowing in a river is contained in its channel. However, there is sometimes too much water for the channel to hold; water then flows over the banks, flooding the adjacent land. In the African country of Mozambique, river floods in February 2000 wrecked or damaged the homes of 250 000 people. Some families survived only by clinging for days to the branches of trees which remained above water level. More than a million cattle were drowned. Crops rotted in the fields. Electricity and telephone lines, 600 schools and many other buildings were swept away. So were farm tools and other possessions. The government estimated that it would cost US$280m to rebuild 1 000 km of roads and railway tracks, which were swept away by the flood waters. Floods also affect the Caribbean, although most are on a smaller scale. Flooding is a serious hazard in Trinidad during the rainy season, from June to November. In 1993, for example, the St Ann's river near Portof Spain and the Caroni river, in central Trinidad both flooded, causing serious damage. © The causes of flooding Rain water can reach a river in a number of ways. It can: * soak into the soil, and move slowly through spaces in the soil and rock until it seeps into the river. * flow rapidly over the surface of the land, reaching the river much more quickly. When water flows rapidly over the surface, flooding is more likely. Water will flow over the surface of the land for a number of reasons: Very heavy rainfall, In tropical regions such as the Caribbean, thunderstorms can cause heavy rainfall over a short period of time. This can cause river floods. The rain drops are large, and they fall faster than the rate at which water can be absorbed by the soil. In the same way, if you pour juice too quickly through a fine meshed strainer, some will spill, A large quantity of water flowing rapidly into a river channel can cause flooding. A long period of heavy rain. Three weeks of heavy rain, some of it associated with a cyclone (an Indian Ocean hurricane), caused the Mozambique floods of 2000. The Limpopo and Save rivers1.211 Fooding in Mozambique JY 213. Normal ver flow and fooing Innormal flow the river stays within its channel Ina flood, the river spills out on to the valley floor. JY 215. How rainfall reaches a river. Rainfall can flow into a river: * rapidly on surface, as overiand flow, or * slowly, through spaces in the soll and rock A. 2:12 ooding on the Caroni pains, Trinidad Sy 2.14 The St Ann's and Caroni floods in Trinidad. : a Sera none Port of Spain Suni, ‘The St. Ann's River flows through a narrow, steep-sided valley in the Northern Range, ‘but the Caroni River flows across the low-lying Caroni plains. r= 1 216 The St Ann’s and Caroni floods in Trinidad: 1993. SOs riven % Noemalfow Normal ow Oars River 3301 4, “ sm 1 ' Finwate funneled nto Flood waters spread out raging trent ‘over the flor plan eran22 Landforms and tife 2.1 consumed the town of Chokwe and the surrounding countryside. Lack of vegetation cover. Vegetation helps rainfall to soak into the soil and the rocks below. A lack of vegetation leads to. increased surface flow. Rain water rushes into the river. On the way, it picks up loose . soil and other debris, and transports it into the river. This material may block the river channel, making flooding more likely. Urbanisation. Where the land is covered by roads, houses and other buildings, rainwater flows rapidly over the surface and does not sink into the ground. ‘Compacted soil. Soil may be compacted by heavy farm machinery, tractors or bulldozers. When this happens, the spaces between soil particles are blocked, and water cannot easily pass through. This also increases overland flow. @ Erosion and deposition The Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers which flow through India and Bangladesh carry more than three million tonnes of soil to the Bay of Bengal each year. This soil is stripped from hillsides in Nepal and October 5, 1993 ‘Torrential rainfall - 60 mm fell northern India, where the land is damaged This soil is deposited further downstream. New islands have been formed, and fertile sediment ot alluvium is deposited on the lands close to the river. This allows the farmers of Bangladesh to cultivate several crops of wet rice every year. @ Reducing the risk Reafforestation. Trees can be planted in mountainous areas where there is heavy rainfall. This makes it easier for rain water to soak into the ground. Less water flows directly to the river. The risk of flooding is reduced in low-lying regions nearby, Embankments. Raised structures of earth, stone, concrete or other material on each side of the river channel will reduce the risk of flooding. Close to the mouth of the large rivers which flow through Guyana, the land is below water level at some times. Walls and embankments have been built to prevent flooding. Keeping these structures in good repair is an important but expensive task Dredging. The danger of flooding Scie) November 21-28, 1993, ‘Continuous rainfall on Norther range Jntwo hours in the St Ann's valley. (Other causes of flooding Cutting of forests and urbanisation on the valley slopes. River bed choked with garbage, abandoned domestic appliances and sediment. 12-18 hours Five deaths. 4000 cuble metres of mud land other debris to be cleared trom roadways - enough to fll 500 trucks. Flood waters reach 2 metres above road level. Destruction of homes on the valley slopes and by the river. Mud and sift ‘dumped in central Port-of-Spain. “Time for waters to drain Effects of flooding ‘and Caroni Plains on November 19-21 ‘Cutting of forests and urbanisation in the Northen Range. Saturated soil ‘Water hyacinths growing in the ‘waterways of the Caroni plain obstruct the river flow. T days Loss of crops - cocoa, coffee, bananas, fice and vegetables. Poultry and livestock ‘re drowned. Afterwards, the price of ‘vegetables increases sharply. Health hazard as cesspits overflow. Muddy ‘water floods into homes.Landforms and life 2.1 23 increases if river channels are blocked by clearing the river channel helps the river to tree branches, mud, rocks, discarded flow faster, without obstruction, and appliances, and garbage. Dredging or reduces the flood danger. Quick Questions © Whats a flood? © Explain how rainfall over an extended Period of time can cause flooding. © Describe four negative effects of flooding. @ Describe how flooding can be beneficial to the environment © Study the information given about the St Ann's and Caroni floods in Trinidad. * Why does deforestation cause flooding in the lower part of a river valley? * How does the blocking of a water course lead to flooding? * Why do you think there was no loss of life in the Caroni flood? * Why did flood waters drain away in only 15 hours in the St Ann's flood, while flood waters took seven days to drain from the Caroni plain? * How can reafforestation of hillsides reduce flooding on adjacent lowlands? Why is dredging the river channel not a permanent solution to flooding? Atlas Wovk @ raw a sketch map of Mozambique, and one of a Caribbean country, On each map, show: * the national capital * the name of the adjacent sea or ocean +a river which has caused serious flood damage * 8 mountainous area, and a low-lying area which can be flooded © Draw a sketch map of india and Bangladesh. Name the adjacent seas and oceans. Show the course of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers. Research Project Find out about a flood which has affected your own country. When did it occur? What were the reasons for the flood? What types of damage did it cause? Draw a sketch map to illustrate your answer.