Channelisation, flood management strategies

River Sectioning:

What:
Increasing the wetted perimeter of the river channel

How:
River beds and banks maybe smoothened by replacing sol of the river banks and bed
with cement and granite.

Why:
Re-sectioning increases the channel’s ability to hold water thus decreasing the
chances of flooding.
It also increases the amount of surface runoff from the surrounding areas.
Smoothening also helps to increase the speed of flow of the river.

River Realignment:

What:
Involves altering the river channel to shorten river channel.

How:
Removes meander by straightening it and reduces the length of the river channel in
order to increase the speed of the river.

Why:
Increased speed of flow of river allows water to flow away from the area more
quickly and wash away sediments which have accumulated on the river bed, hence
minimizing localized flood.
After deepening the channel, allowing it to hold more water, thus reducing the
occurrence of flood.

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Planting Vegetation:

How:
Panting vegetation reduces the amount of ended sediments being transported into
the river. Thus, the channel does not become shallower, reducing the chances of
flood.

Why:
Roots and vegetations hold the soil together firmly. Which reduces the amount of
eroded materials to prevent flooding.
Increases speed of flow.
To slow down the rate of surface runoff into the river all at once
Protect bank against erosion as the roots.

Bank Protection:

What:
To reduce erosion in the river channel to prevent flooding

How:
Building of artificial levees or dykes. These walls of sand. Stone or concrete are built
to prevent the bank from collapsing.
Concrete structure can be built to direct the flow of water from the river banks to the
centre of the channel.
Vegetations can be planted. Roots of vegetation can bind soil together, stabilises
water bank.

Why:
It prevent floods from occurring and to reduce soil erosion along river banks
Artificial levees or dukes increases water capacity of water
Concrete river bed and bank prevent river erosion .