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‘Back to nature’ cuts flood risks says US scientists

Posted by: Maven on December 31, 2009 at 8:00 am

Flood picture DWRFrom BBC News:

“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.

“We are advocating very large-scale shifts in land use,” said co-author Jeffrey Opperman, a member of The Nature Conservancy’s Global Freshwater Team.

“There is simply no way economically or politically that this could be accomplished by turning large areas of flood-plains into parks,” he told the Science podcast. … “

Read more from the BBC News by clicking here.

Picture courtesy of California Department of Water Resources.

December 31, 2009 · Filed Under Flood Control/Stormwater

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