7.2.4
Impacts of Flooding
Environmental Impacts of Flooding
Environmental Impacts of Flooding
Flooding leads to a mass of water in unusual places, which can be damaging for the environment because soils and ecosystems are impaired.
Soils
Soils
- When flooding takes place, sediment from places such as the banks and beds of the river are eroded.
- This sediment can block sections of a river - for example, underground waterworks.
- Flooding can also lead to soil erosion of fertile soil in places such as the Amazon.
Ecosystems
Ecosystems
- Flooding can destroy plants so they are damaged beyond use or are uprooted and broken into pieces in the river channel.
- When agricultural land is flooded, a farmer's harvest may be destroyed and they will need to completely restart.
- If plants, agriculture or habitats are damaged by flooding, the animals that are dependent on them for food and shelter are at risk. Animals have to compete for limited resources or migrate to other ecosystems, resulting in a decline in some species.
Socio-Economic Impacts of Flooding
Socio-Economic Impacts of Flooding
Flooding leads to a mass of water in unusual places, which can have huge social and economic consequences. The effects can be seen in a population's economic activity, infrastructure and settlement.
Economic activity
Economic activity
- Many businesses close while transport and infrastructures such as roads and bridges can be damaged.
- Business owners lose productivity and income when workers can't get into work.
- Shops that are damaged may lose their stock.
- Insurance companies often pay out to those who have suffered from the flood. In the 2015 Cumbrian floods, insurance companies predicted the total costs would reach £500 million. It is also established that the local economy and businesses lost a total of £200m.
Infrastructure
Infrastructure
- Floods can lead to the long-term or temporary inability to use infrastructures such as roads, railways and bridges. The 2015 Cumbria floods damaged 100 bridges with a huge impact on communities.
- During the 2015 Cumbria Floods, road and rail travel was suspended because of the network damages.
Settlement
Settlement
- During the 2015 Cumbria Floods, 42,000 homes were without power around Lancaster because of a flooded power station being shut off.
- 5,000 homes were flooded within the three days of rainfall in the Cumbria area.
- It is established that the damages to homes from the Cumbria flooding was a total of £150m.
1Tectonic Processes & Hazards
1.1Tectonic Processes & Hazards
1.2Natural Disasters
1.3Natural Disaster Case Studies
1.4Trends & Patterns
2Option 2A: Glaciated Landscapes & Change
2.1Glaciated Landscapes Over Time
2.2Periglacial Landscapes
2.3Glacial Processes
2.4Glacial Landforms
3Option 2B: Coastal Landscapes & Change
3.1Coastal Landscapes
3.2Coastal Erosion & Deposition
3.3Coastal Risks
4Globalisation
4.1Globalisation
4.2Negatives of Globalisation
4.3Global Shift
4.5Culture
4.6Measuring Development
5Option 4A: Regenerating Places
5.1Types of Economies
5.2Function of Places
5.3Regeneration
5.4Regeneration Case Studies
6Option 4B: Diverse Places
6.1Population Structure
6.2Past & Present Connections
6.3Urban & Rural Spaces
6.4Diversity
6.5Urban & Rural Case Studies
6.6Case Study - Tower Hamlets
6.7Case Study - Sturton-le-Steeple
7The Water Cycle & Water Insecurity (A2 only)
7.1Hydrological Processes Global to Local
7.2Influences on the Water Cycle
7.3Water Insecurity
8The Carbon Cycle & Energy Security (A2 only)
8.1The Carbon Cycle
8.2Energy Consumption
8.3Alternative Energy
8.4Growing Demand for Resources
9Superpowers (A2 only)
9.1Superpowers
9.2Hard & Soft Power
9.2.1Hard & Soft Power
9.2.2Emerging Powers - China Rivalry
9.2.3Emerging Powers - Chinese Sources of Power
9.2.4Emerging Powers - Brazil
9.2.5Emerging Powers - Russia
9.2.6Emerging Powers - India
9.2.7Theories of Development
9.2.8Power Case Studies: Chinese One Belt One Road
9.2.9Power Case Studies: Pakistan Nuclear Arms
9.2.10Power Case Studies: OPEC
9.3IGOs, TNCs & Alliances
10Option 8A: Health & Human Rights (A2 only)
10.1Human Development
10.2Role of Governments & IGOs
10.3Human Rights
10.4Interventions
11Option 8B: Migration & Identity (A2 only)
11.1Globalisation & Migration
11.2Consequences of Migration
11.3Nation States
11.4Responses to Global Migration
Jump to other topics
1Tectonic Processes & Hazards
1.1Tectonic Processes & Hazards
1.2Natural Disasters
1.3Natural Disaster Case Studies
1.4Trends & Patterns
2Option 2A: Glaciated Landscapes & Change
2.1Glaciated Landscapes Over Time
2.2Periglacial Landscapes
2.3Glacial Processes
2.4Glacial Landforms
3Option 2B: Coastal Landscapes & Change
3.1Coastal Landscapes
3.2Coastal Erosion & Deposition
3.3Coastal Risks
4Globalisation
4.1Globalisation
4.2Negatives of Globalisation
4.3Global Shift
4.5Culture
4.6Measuring Development
5Option 4A: Regenerating Places
5.1Types of Economies
5.2Function of Places
5.3Regeneration
5.4Regeneration Case Studies
6Option 4B: Diverse Places
6.1Population Structure
6.2Past & Present Connections
6.3Urban & Rural Spaces
6.4Diversity
6.5Urban & Rural Case Studies
6.6Case Study - Tower Hamlets
6.7Case Study - Sturton-le-Steeple
7The Water Cycle & Water Insecurity (A2 only)
7.1Hydrological Processes Global to Local
7.2Influences on the Water Cycle
7.3Water Insecurity
8The Carbon Cycle & Energy Security (A2 only)
8.1The Carbon Cycle
8.2Energy Consumption
8.3Alternative Energy
8.4Growing Demand for Resources
9Superpowers (A2 only)
9.1Superpowers
9.2Hard & Soft Power
9.2.1Hard & Soft Power
9.2.2Emerging Powers - China Rivalry
9.2.3Emerging Powers - Chinese Sources of Power
9.2.4Emerging Powers - Brazil
9.2.5Emerging Powers - Russia
9.2.6Emerging Powers - India
9.2.7Theories of Development
9.2.8Power Case Studies: Chinese One Belt One Road
9.2.9Power Case Studies: Pakistan Nuclear Arms
9.2.10Power Case Studies: OPEC
9.3IGOs, TNCs & Alliances
10Option 8A: Health & Human Rights (A2 only)
10.1Human Development
10.2Role of Governments & IGOs
10.3Human Rights
10.4Interventions
11Option 8B: Migration & Identity (A2 only)
11.1Globalisation & Migration
11.2Consequences of Migration
11.3Nation States
11.4Responses to Global Migration
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