FLOOD CONTROL

AND
DRAINAGE DESIGN
Engr. CARL TURQUEZA
FLOODING AND
ITS CONTROL
◦ River flooding essentially a natural process that helps shape
landscape
◦ Flooding generally caused by high rainfall and inability of land to
drain water effectively - aggravated further when ground
saturated.

◦ Flooding frequently leads to serious water pollution and

epidemiological problems.

◦ Flood damage extent often exacerbated by:

◦ Inadequate flood warning systems
◦ Use of crude hydroinformatics tools
◦ Inadequately trained model users
◦ Flood control refers to all methods used to reduce or prevent the detrimental
effects of flood waters (Wikipedia).
Causes of Floods
◦ PRECIPITATION
◦ INADEQUATE CAPACITY (WITHIN BANKS)
◦ BANK EROSION AND SILTING
◦ LAND SLIDES
◦ TIDAL AND BACK WATER EFFECTS
◦ POOR DRAINAGE
◦ SNOW MELT AND GLACIAL OUT BURSTS
Precipitation

Inadequate Capacity (within Banks)

 Landslides

Bank erosion & Silting

Tidal and Backwater effects

Poor Drainage
◦ Low general topography
◦ Right Embankments and breaches in internal polder embankments and drainage congestion preceded by high flows in the
major rivers
◦ Flash floods on trans boundary rivers, local intense rainfall, impeded drainage and drainage congestion on the major rivers
◦ High inflows through the Ganges and the Brahmaputra and surges
◦ Due to landslides in upstream the alluvial soil raises the bed of rivers and canals.
◦ Blockade of natural drainage of water due to unplanned population settlement and construction of embankments.
◦ Formation of shoals in rivers and sand beds.
◦ Increase of sea level and its effect in low-lying areas.
◦ Excessive melting of snow in the Himalayas.
◦ Human interventions in all the major rivers in the form of building embankments, dams and barrages have shrunk the
natural flood plain.
◦ The sedimentation has been worsened by deforestation. It causes more soil erosion and less surface retention of rain by
the leaves of the trees and loose ground cover materials.
◦ Change in the natural drainage pattern due to development activities. Both the intensity and the duration of flooding
might have increased due to unplanned construction of roads and railway tracks. They have compartmentalized the
countryside and disrupted the natural flow of water out of the flooded land.
Effects of Flood
◦ Floods can bring a negative impact, including the loss of
life and property. Floods not only damage property and
endanger the lives of humans and animals, but have other
effects as well.
◦ Rapid runoff causes soil erosion as well as sediment
deposition problems downstream. Spawning grounds for
fish and other wildlife habitat are often destroyed.
◦ High-velocity currents increase flood damage; prolonged
high floods delay traffic and interfere with drainage and
economic use of lands.
◦ Bridge abutments, bank lines, sewer outfalls, and other
structures within floodways are damaged, and navigation
and hydroelectric power are often impaired. Each year,
financial losses due to floods are considerable.
Effects of Flood
◦ DESTRUCTION OF AGRICULTURAL PLANTATIONS: Crops die in the
prolonged accumulation of flood waters in the plantation areas. Rubber,
cocoa, palm oil and rice are among the agricultural crops which cannot
survive in such conditions. Such damage is a loss for farmers.

◦ DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY: A torrential flood can sink and wash away

homes as well as damage various other properties such as electrical goods,
vehicles and the like. This is a loss for residents.

◦ DISEASES: The worst effect of floods is on one’s health. Floods can cause
the accumulation of human waste in the flood waters. These flood waters
can spread to other areas, resulting in diseases such as cholera and malaria.
Effects of Flood
◦ DEATHS: Floods often result in loss of life especially in
low-lying areas and along river banks.

◦ LOSS TO GOVERNMENT: Floods damage public property

such as roads, buildings, and telephone and electrical
infrastructures. Floods can also bring about many kinds
of diseases. The responsibility of repairing the damages
and subsidizing medical equipment must be borne by
the government. All these involve high maintenance
costs. The government must also supply basic
necessities such as food, drinking water and medicine,
and set up temporary shelters for flood victims.
 During times of Floods occur Water then runs
1.

2.

3.
rain, some of the when ponds, off the land in
water is retained lakes, riverbeds, quantities that
in ponds or soil, soil, and cannot be carried
some is absorbed vegetation cannot within stream
by grass and absorb all the channels or
vegetation, some water. retained in natural
evaporates, and ponds, lakes, and
the rest travels man-made
over the land as reservoirs.
surface runoff.
Flood Control Measure

◦ It is important to understand the effectiveness of

individual measures in terms of flood mitigation
impact when considering structural solutions for
flood mitigation.

◦ Depending on locality and the nature of the

flooding, a number of structural and non-
structural mitigation measures may be available.
However, flood mitigation measures may only
lessen the impact of flooding. No amount of
intervention can stop heavy rain or high tides.
Structural Measures Nonstructural Measures

◦ Structural measures keep the ◦ Nonstructural measures keep

floods away from resources in the resources away from
the floodplain. floods in the floodplain.
◦ Structural flood mitigation is
where physical structures are
constructed or modified to
reduce the impact of flooding
on individual properties or
whole catchments.
 STRUCTURAL NON-STRUCTURAL

• Control over hazard • Hazard mitigation/ avoidance

CONCEPT
• Protection of human settlement • Adjustment of human activities

 Sea walls, Leeves, Sructure of Dams,  Land use management by planning tools
Break Water, Flood Storage (comprehensive plan, zoning, ordinance,
Reeservois, Dikes, Pumps,Channel incentives)
Improvements and Diversions, Groins,  Infrastructure Policy
and Drainages  Insurance
MEASURES
 Awareness (education, information
 Strengthening buildings through dissemination) and partnership
building codes  Protect natural areas (dunes, wetland,
maritime forests, vegetation, etc.)
 Buildeing Shelters  Risk Reducction and Preparedness Policies
Examples by Country
◦ Asia

◦ Floodgates in Tokyo, Japan

◦ In Kyoto, Japan, the Hata clan successfully controlled floods on the Katsura River in around 500 A.D and also
constructed a sluice on the Kazuno River.[60]
◦ In China flood diversion areas are rural areas that are deliberately flooded in emergencies in order to protect cities.[61]
◦ The consequences of deforestation and changing land use on the risk and severity of flooding are subjects of
discussion. In assessing the impacts of Himalayan deforestation on the Ganges-Brahmaputra Lowlands, it was found
that forests would not have prevented or significantly reduced flooding in the case of an extreme weather event.[62]
However, more general or overview studies agree on the negative impacts that deforestation has on flood safety - and
the positive effects of wise land use and reforestation.[63][64]
◦ Many have proposed that loss of vegetation (deforestation) will lead to an increased risk of flooding. With natural forest
cover the flood duration should decrease. Reducing the rate of deforestation should improve the incidents and severity
of floods
Benefits of Flooding
◦ There are many disruptive effects of flooding on human settlements
and economic activities. However, flooding can bring benefits, such as
making soil more fertile and providing nutrients in which it is
deficient. Periodic flooding was essential to the well-being of ancient
communities along the Tigris-Euphrates Rivers, the Nile River, the
Indus River, the Ganges and the Yellow River, among others. The
viability for hydrologically based renewable sources of energy is
higher in flood-prone regions.
Thank you!