Case study: Soft Engineering River Quaggy

Description of location

Location map

The River Quaggy rises at Locksbottom,

west of Orpington. It flows for 17
kilometres through the boroughs of
Bromley, Greenwich and Lewisham and
joins the River Ravensbourne in central
Lewisham in front of the station. The River
Ravensbourne catchment drains an area of
approximately 180 square kilometres,
discharging into the River Thames via
Deptford Creek.

Description of what has been done

A varied amount of soft engineering strategies have been put in place in the River
Quaggy. Contour ploughing as well has farm stripping have been put into place in
order to allow a reduces amount of runoff. Floodplain zoning has also been
introduces to allow areas to flood naturally without coming into contact with
buildings, saving investment made in infrastructure. More tress are also being
planted (afforestation) to increase interception therefore slowing down the rate in
which water reaches the river. The main scheme is river regeneration in which the
community is trying to restore the river to its natural state before starting any
further types of engineering.

Positive effects

Negative effects

Flood management and park quality improved

meaning more investment in the surrounding area

Artificial channels built for diversion changing

natural structure of the river.

Reduced risk of flooding for more than 600 homes

and businesses

Flood zones do not provide protection for people

in lower areas.

Aesthetic appreciation for new environment

Surrounding parks have been reduced in size in

order to host the changes in the river

Diverse wildlife environment due to preservation

of wildlife.

May not always work

New floodplains have been created to allow

flooding to happen and be dealt with more
naturally- can collect 85,000cm3 of water

Social

Economic

Environmental

Case study: Hard Engineering The Yangtze

Description of location

Location map

Yangtze River is the largest in China and the

third longest in the world. Rising in Tanggula
Mountain, it flows eastwards and pours
itself into the East China Sea. Measuring
about 6,380 km (3,964 miles), it mainly runs
from west to east. The Yangtze water
network covers about 1,800,000 square km
(694,983 square miles), accounting for
18.8% of the land area in China.

Description of what has been done

Seasonal flooding is common around the Yangtze- China seasons last around June until
August which increases river discharge which causes flooding. Flooding causes lots of
issues for farmland and major cities next to the river including Wuhan and Nanjing. As
part of flood protection, hard engineering schemes such as dams and levees have
been introduced. There are many dams on the Yangtze River (46 planned or under
constriction). The biggest is the Three Gorges Dam. A reservoir is building up behind
the dam to catch any flood water, which can then be released slowly over time. There
are many artificial levees along the river- 3600km of levees along the middle and
lower parts of the river.

Positive effects

Negative effects

River shipping has increased as big ships can travel

trough the river due to easier navigation.-

Cost $26 billion to build-Needs constant

maintenance which costs a lot to manage

The turbines located in the dam generate 22.5

gigawatts of electricity- 3% of Chinas demand.
Cleaner energy- no fossil fuels.

More than 2 million people have been relocated

Water supply to people has become more reliable.

Destruction of natural habitats and endangering

species- Baiji dolphin

Stopped major flooding from happening often.

Reduce risk of flooding for 15 million people

Ancient historical sites lost or damaged

Dam traps sediment which can lead to failure of the

dam causing severe flooding. (Sediment from
pollution from industries located on its banks
Increased downstream erosion

Social

Economic

Environmental