‘Back to nature’ cuts flood risks
Reconnecting flood-plains to rivers will help reduce the risk of future flooding, suggest US scientists.
A study by US researchers said allowing these areas to be submerged during storms would reduce the risk of flood damage in nearby urban areas.
Pressure to build new homes has led to many flood-prone areas being developed.
Writing in Science, they said the risks of flooding were likely to increase in the future as a result of climate change and shifts in land use.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8406351.stm
Paper:
Sustainable Floodplains Through Large-Scale Reconnection to Rivers
Jeffrey J. Opperman,1,2,* Gerald E. Galloway,3 Joseph Fargione,1 Jeffrey F. Mount,2 Brian D. Richter,1 Silvia Secchi4
Science 11 December 2009:
Vol. 326. no. 5959, pp. 1487 – 1488
