The International Rivers Network has a new study out, “Before the Deluge: Coping with Floods in a Changing Climate,” which details the failures of flood control techniques like dams and levees and presents other options for areas that may face flooding from severe weather and rising shorelines.
Turns out traditional flood control measures like embankments and dams can sometimes actually make flooding worse since they force rivers to run straighter and faster, making flooding more powerful when it occurs. This is all especially timely in light of all the flooding that’s been happening in Texas and Oklahoma, as well as Bangladesh, Australia, China, Afghanistan, England. Worth checking out.
