River Hazards & Opportunities

Opportunities and hazards of living near a river

Opportunities and hazards of living near a river

• The main river hazards are flooding and erosion

• Rivers flood when the water in them reaches bankfull discharge and then overspills across the floodplain

• Flooding occurs as the result of two main causes:

  • If there is a period of heavy, torrential rain leading to high levels of overland flow because the water cannot infiltrate 

  • A prolonged period of steady rain means that the ground becomes saturated, leading to high levels of overland flow because the water cannot infiltrate

• There are other natural causes of river flooding, which include

  • landslides

  • snow and ice melt

  • storm surges push water up the river channel

• Although the root cause of flooding is precipitation, the risk of flooding can be increased by human activities such as

  • urbanisation

  • deforestation

  • building of bridges and dams

  • human-induced climate change

  • agriculture

• Flooding often goes hand in hand with erosion of the banks, as both result from increased discharge and velocity

Hazards of flooding and erosion

• Floodwaters may increase the spread of water-related diseases;

  • The water may act as a breeding ground for the animals that spread disease, for example, the mosquito 

  • The water may be contaminated by bacteria, which can spread diseases such as cholera

• Deaths and injuries as floodplains are often densely populated due to the fertile soils

• Bridges and transport routes may be damaged or destroyed by the floodwaters

• Destruction of crops 

• Increased insurance costs 

• Lower house prices

• Rebuilding costs

River bank erosion

• Erosion of the riverbanks is another hazard

• This may be exacerbated (made worse) by flooding

• River bank erosion leads to the loss of:

  • Farmland

  • Housing

  • Transport routes

• This leads to displacement of populations

• It is estimated that 2400km of riverbanks in Bangladesh are vulnerable to erosion

• In 2019, the homes of 8,000 people in the north of Bangladesh were destroyed due to riverbank erosion

Opportunities

• As well as the hazards, there are many opportunities provided by rivers:

  • The silt deposited during flooding is often rich in minerals and nutrients

    • This makes it ideal for growing crops

  • Rivers are a source of food 

  • The floodplains are flat land

    • Construction and building of transport networks easier

  • Water can be used to irrigate farmland

  • Leisure and tourism

  • Generating electricity

  • Transporting goods and people