Flood Mitigation
Nature based solutions
There are two approaches for preparing for flood - implementing response and relief plans and flood mitigation. Flood mitigation means doing things to reduce the amount of water and the speed at which it arrives. Many flood mitigation approaches are very expensive concrete dams and water ways but there is another way - Nature based solutions.
Nature based solutions are things we can do in nature to reduce the amount of water or the speed at which the water reaches our towns.
These pages will give you a simple guide to nature based flood mitigation solutions and some insights on things you need to consider when considering one of these approaches.
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Water catchments
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The first thing you will need to understand is your water catchment. This means the whole area which collects water which eventually drains into the rivers that run through or near your town. This includes the smaller rivers and creeks which flow into the main river in your area, as well as the hillsides which surround these rivers.
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Floods are the result when
- Too much water enters the system too fast.
- There is Insufficient capacity in the middle course of the river.
- There is obstructed estuarine outflow at the lower course.
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The following links will lead you to pages giving information on nature based solution for the three sections of a river system. the upper course (in the mountains and hills around your community), the middle course (the lower areas where the river is wider and there is likley farming or industrial areas), and the lower course (where the river meets the sea)
