FLOODING

A flood is an overflow of water that submerges land which is usually dry. The European
Union (EU) Floods Directive defines a flood as a covering by water of land not normally
covered by water. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the
inflow of the tide. Flooding may occur as an overflow of water from water bodies, such
as a river or lake, in which the water overtops or breaks levees, resulting in some of that
water escaping its usual boundaries, or it may occur due to an accumulation of rainwater
on saturated ground in an areal flood. While the size of a lake or other body of water will
vary with seasonal changes in precipitation and snow melt, these changes in size are
unlikely to be considered significant unless they flood property or drown domestic
animals.
Floods can also occur in rivers when the flow rate exceeds the capacity of the river
channel, particularly at bends or meanders in the waterway. Floods often cause damage to
homes and businesses if they are in the natural flood plains of rivers. While riverine flood
damage can be eliminated by moving away from rivers and other bodies of water, people
have traditionally lived and worked by rivers because the land is usually flat and fertile
and because rivers provide easy travel and access to commerce and industry.
Some floods develop slowly, while others such as flash floods, can develop in just a few
minutes and without visible signs of rain. Additionally, floods can be local, impacting a
neighborhood or community, or very large, affecting entire river basins.
PROCESS OF FLOODING
The water cycle describes the continuous movement of water on, above and below the
Earths surface. Flooding can occur at different points in the water cycle.
Water in the environment is ultimately derived from rainfall and other forms of
precipitation. Water flows downhill to the sea via a series of routes and stores.
This system is dynamic and changes with time as routes and the adjacent landscapes are
modified by humans or by natural processes.
Flooding generally occurs when the volume of water exceeds the capacity of a water
route (sometimes referred to as pathway) or store (sometimes called a receptor). This
causes an area of land to be submerged temporarily. Flooding may take place at any point
along the course of the route and not necessarily at the place where the extra water has
entered the system.

In rare cases, flooding may occur when a feature fails that would normally keep water off
the land, such as a reservoir embankment or levee.

WHAT ARE THE NEGATIVE SOCIAL IMPACTS OF FLOODING?

Flooding of areas used for socio-economic activities produces a variety of negative
impacts. The magnitude of adverse impacts depends on the vulnerability of the activities
and population and the frequency, intensity and extent of flooding. Some of these factors
are shown below;
Loss of lives and property: Immediate impacts of flooding include loss of human life,
damage to property, destruction of crops, loss of livestock, non-functioning of
infrastructure facilities and deterioration of health condition owing to waterborne
diseases. Flash floods, with little or no warning time, cause more deaths than slow-rising
riverine floods.
Loss of livelihoods: As communication links and infrastructure such as power plants,
roads and bridges are damaged and disrupted, economic activities come to a standstill,
resulting in dislocation and the dysfunction of normal life for a period much beyond the
duration of the flooding. Similarly, the direct effect on production assets, be it in
agriculture or industry, can inhibit regularly activity and lead to loss of livelihoods. The
spill over effects of the loss of livelihoods can be felt in business and commercial
activities even in adjacent non-flooded areas.

Decreased purchasing and production power: Damage to infrastructure also causes longterm impacts, such as disruptions to clean water and electricity, transport,
communication, education and health care. Loss of livelihoods, reduction in purchasing
power and loss of land value in the flood plains lead to increased vulnerabilities of
communities living in the area. The additional cost of rehabilitation, relocation of people
and removal of property from flood-affected areas can divert the capital required for
maintaining production.
Mass migration: Frequent flooding, resulting in loss of livelihoods, production and other
prolonged economic impacts and types of suffering can trigger mass migration or
population displacement. Migration to developed urban areas contributes to the
overcrowding in the cities. These migrants swell the ranks of the urban poor and end up
living in marginal lands in cities that are prone to floods or other risks. Selective outmigration of the workforce sometimes creates complex social problems.
Psychosocial effects: The huge psycho-social effects on flood victims and their families
can traumatize them for long periods of time. The loss of loved ones can generate deep
impacts, especially on children. Displacement from ones home, loss of property and
livelihoods and disruption to business and social affairs can cause continuing stress. The
stress of overcoming these losses can be overwhelming and produce lasting
psychological impacts.
Hindering economic growth and development: The high cost of relief and recovery may
adversely impact investment in infrastructure and other development activities in the area
and in certain cases may cripple the frail economy of the region. Recurrent flooding in a
region may discourage long-term investments by the government and private sector alike.
Lack of livelihoods, combined with migration of skilled labour and inflation may have a
negative impact on a regions economic growth. Loss of resources can lead to high costs
of goods and services, delaying its development programmes.
Political implications: Ineffective response to relief operations during major flood events
may lead to public discontent or loss of trust in the authorities or the state and national
governments. Lack of development in flood-prone areas may cause social inequity and
even social unrest posing threat to peace and stability in the region.
FLOODS CAUSES, EFFECTS, PREVENTION AND CONTROL MEASURES
Floods occur when excess water flows over land that is normally dry. The water does not
flow through any definite channel but spread over land surface. The most common type
of flood is when a river overflows its banks. This may occur in the wet reason in the
tropics or in spring and summer in the temperate latitudes. Another common type of flood
is when ocean water overflows its shoreline and spreads over the coastal plains.

CAUSES OF FLOOD
1. Heavy rainfall during the wet season.
2. Rapid melting of ice in the watershed of rivers in the temperate latitudes.
3. Collapse of dams and river embankments.
4. Poor land drainage systems, e.g. lack of drainage ditches, blocked drainage ditches,
and narrow, shallow drainage ditches. Bridges and culverts that are either too low or too
narrow also add to poor drainage.
5. Low relief coupled with a high water table as in flood plains, river valleys and coastal
plains.
6. Strong tidal waves, storm surges and hurricanes from the sea.
7. Unplanned urban residential, commercial and industrial development on the flood
plains of rivers.
EFFECTS OF FLOODING
1. Destructive of farmlands.
2. Destruction of life and property.
3. Destruction of transport and communication systems.
4. Displacement of population and settlements.
Flood Prevention and Control Measures
1. Practical watershed and management such as preventing deforestation and carrying out
re-forestation where necessary. Control the use of land.
2. Construction of high walls and strong embankments and the reinforcement of levees
along river bank.
3. Uses of breaks to retain run-off water over land surfaces.
4. Flood plains should be used for recreational or agricultural purposes only to avoid
building houses on them.

5. Construction of flood containing dams with a capacity to retain large quantities of runoff water. Such reservoirs could be used as fish ponds, sources of water for irrigation and
domestic purposes.
6. Stream channelisation to increase the capacity of the channel to carry more water.
7. There should be good land use planning and development control in both rural and
urban centres.
CONTROL
In many countries around the world, waterways prone to floods are often carefully
managed. Defenses such as detention basins, levees,[16] bunds, reservoirs, and weirs are
used to prevent waterways from overflowing their banks. When these defenses fail,
emergency measures such as sandbags or portable inflatable tubes are often used to try to
stem flooding. Coastal flooding has been addressed in portions of Europe and the
Americas with coastal defenses, such as sea walls, beach nourishment, and barrier
islands.
In the riparian zone near rivers and streams, erosion control measures can be taken to try
to slow down or reverse the natural forces that cause many waterways to meander over
long periods of time. Flood controls, such as dams, can be built and maintained over time
to try to reduce the occurrence and severity of floods as well. In the USA, the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers maintains a network of such flood control dams.
In areas prone to urban flooding, one solution is the repair and expansion of man-made
sewer systems and stormwater infrastructure. Another strategy is to reduce impervious
surfaces in streets, parking lots and buildings through natural drainage channels, porous
paving, and wetlands (collectively known as green infrastructure or sustainable urban
drainage systems [SUDS]). Areas identified as flood-prone can be converted into parks
and playgrounds that can tolerate occasional flooding. Ordinances can be adopted to
require developers to retain stormwater on site and require buildings to be elevated,
protected by floodwalls and levees, or designed to withstand temporary inundation.
Property owners can also invest in solutions themselves, such as re-landscaping their
property to take the flow of water away from their building and installing rain barrels,
sump pumps, and check valves.
BENEFITS
Floods (in particular more frequent or smaller floods) can also bring many benefits, such
as recharging ground water, making soil more fertile and increasing nutrients in some
soils. Flood waters provide much needed water resources in arid and semi-arid regions
where precipitation can be very unevenly distributed throughout the year and kills pests

in the farming land. Freshwater floods particularly play an important role in maintaining
ecosystems in river corridors and are a key factor in maintaining floodplain biodiversity.
[17]
Flooding can spread nutrients to lakes and rivers, which can lead to increased biomass
and improved fisheries for a few years.
For some fish species, an inundated floodplain may form a highly suitable location for
spawning with few predators and enhanced levels of nutrients or food.[18] Fish, such as the
weather fish, make use of floods in order to reach new habitats. Bird populations may
also profit from the boost in food production caused by flooding.[19]
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 of hydropower, a renewable source of energy, is also
higher in flood prone regions.
EFFECT ON PLANT
The answer is that it depends. Some plants are perfectly happy growing in wet places e.g.
bulrushes or water lilies, and are adapted to do so. However, in generally drier areas such
as fields or pastures, the presence of excessive amounts of water can cause the plants to
become stressed and even die.
There are many ways that flooding can damage plants. Excessive moisture in soil
decreases oxygen levels. This impedes respiration (where energy is released from sugars)
in the roots leading to the build-up of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrogen gases.
Ultimately, the roots can suffocate and die. Toxic compounds such as ethanol and
hydrogen sulphide can also build up in the soil and damage plants. If leaves and stems are
submerged, photosynthesis (absorption of energy from the sun to produce sugars) can be
inhibited and plant growth can slow or even stop.
Plants that are suffering from excessive-water stress are more prone to infection by
disease-causing organisms such as fungi or insects. Also, excessively wet soil tends to
favour the growth of soil-microbes such as Fusarium spp., Phytophora spp. and
Rhizoctonia solani, which can infect plant roots leading to diseases such as root and
crown rot.
Disease symptoms on bean roots infected with Rhizoctonia solani. Image by Howard F.
Schwartz (CC BY 3.0) via wikimedia commons.
Disease symptoms on bean roots infected with Rhizoctonia solani. Image by Howard F.
Schwartz (CC BY 3.0) via wikimedia commons.
The deposition of soil and rocks onto plants during flooding can damage plants, as can
the exposure of roots to the air by the washing away of surrounding soil. Also, even after
the flood waters recede the damaged plants can be more vulnerable to other stresses. For

example, trees with substantial root damage are more likely to be uprooted in windy
weather.
The damage caused to plants by flooding differs depending on the time of the year and
the age of the plants. During winter most trees and shrubs are not actively growing and so
they are more tolerant to flooding. Established healthy plants are generally more tolerant
than young or very old plants. The longer that excessive water is present the more likely
that damage to plants will be fatal. Even once the flood waters recede it can take weeks
for the soil to dry out with plants continuing to suffer damage in the meantime. It can
take weeks or months for plants to die after being damaged so it will be a while before
the full impact of the UKs wet winter on our plants becomes clear.