•Causes of flooding

•Impact of flooding
A discharge great
enough to cause a body
of water to overflow its
channel and submerge
the surrounding land.

 Canhave huge social

and economic costs but
can also be beneficial
• E.g. creating fertile soils
PHYSICAL HUMAN
Urbanisation
 Climatological

Deforestation
 Natureof
drainage basin

 Coastal influences
 Climatological factors:
1. Intense rainfall (rainfall intensity > infiltration
capacity) – common in semi-arid areas
2. Prolonged period of rainfall produces saturation of
the soil and overland flow ( widespread flooding in
UK during summer 2007 was the result of the
wettest summer since 1766)
3. A sudden increase in temperature producing rapid
snowmelt, which can be made worse by frozen
ground limiting infiltration
4. (1995 Rhine flood in Germany & Netherlands)
Nature of drainage basin:

1. Infiltration rate depends on rock and soil

2. Shape of the river basin, gradient and

vegetation covers affect how quickly run-
off reaches the channel
 Coastal influences:

 High seasonal tides, storm

surges, tropical cyclones
can result in higher water
levels in rivers and low-
lying coastal areas

• E.g. Bangladesh
1. Deforestation

• Reduces interception and

evapotranspiration

• Increase run-off

• Decrease in channel capacity

due to amt of sediment being
carried into river channel

• E.g. Maraca rainforest in the

Amazon Basin
• The creation of highly
impermeable surfaces
such as roads, roofs
and pavements

• Smooth surfaces
served by a dense
network of drains,
gutters and
underground sewers,
effectively increasing
drainage density
• Natural river channels are
often constricted by
bridge supports or
riverside facilities,
reducing their carrying
capacity

• Straightening river
channels and lining them
with concrete as part of
building projects lead to
faster delivery of water
downstream
 Failureof hard engineering such as a
dam burst can produce catastrophic
flooding
• Dam burst in an iron ore mine near Seville,
Spain 1999

 Land management techniques such as:

• drainage systems,
• digging ditches or
• ploughing up and down a slope
 will decrease lagtime for water to reach the
river channel
The process of finding the probability
(how likely it is to happen) that a
hazardous event of particular size
occur within a given period of the time
and estimating its impact
 Building and property washed away by water and
mud

 Crops ruined and farmlands saturated for months

 People and animals can drown in fast flowing water

 Transport can be interrupted; airport can be

closed, roads and railways submerged under water

 Sewage contaminate drinking water and causes

diseases like cholera & typhoid
Gadong flood
Road between Mc Donald and Mall
 Replenishes groundwater reserves

 Providesnutrient-rich sediment for

agriculture in the dry season

 Reduces the need for artificial fertilisers

 Flushes
pollutants and pathogens away from
domestic areas

 May increase the fish supply