Flood Defense

As flood defense is such an important issue to so many, we have provided multiple solutions from different parts of the world in hopes of informing and inspiring. There is much to do be done on an individual, community, and global level, and it is time to rev up our efforts to deal with both the rising sea levels and the increased precipitation resulting from climate change.

Policymakers need to address the issue more and more to combat floods and rising sea levels due to melting polar caps and increased precipitation. It is so much better to prepare and take actions such as removing structures that are sure to break up and go into the ocean or rivers when rising water levels are about to engulf them. We also have to ensure chemicals, gas, and oil from homes and other structures are not going to contaminate the water at the same time. We can pay for it now or we can pay more dearly for the consequences of poisoning the water and the clean-up later. After all, how many storms can take place before the oceans, rivers, and lakes become so polluted with debris and chemicals that they are such a hazard to marine life and people alike that the ecosystem dies? We must be realistic and start preparing.

Global warming isn’t going away and will only intensify, causing a rapid increase in rising sea levels. With our all technology, we should be able to manage our waters better so that millions of people get the water they need, while others have too much. One solution would be to harness the water coming off the polar ice caps before it goes into the water. It makes much more sense to gather this freshwater resource before it melts into the oceans and causes the havoc that ensues with rising sea levels. It is the higher content of freshwater in the oceans that results in more intense superstorms due to increased evaporation.

City planners must allow for excess water to find its way either out of the city or into waterways, gardens, parks, reservoirs, canals, flood plains, etc. As forests are an integral part of flood defense on multiple levels we can do our bit by planting trees to help with global warming and anchor the land. For areas in tropical and subtropical climates, planting mangroves does wonders to anchor the shorelines and estuaries. These amazing plants not only provide a barrier to cyclones and storms, but they also have the ability to grow in water that is salt-rich and oxygen-poor water, while sequestering more CO2 than rainforests, clarifying water, protecting and providing a habitat for life above and below the water level, and more.

We have come to a point where we need to redirect the water or move the people. As floods increase and land becomes unusable, we will have to provide new homes for millions around the world displaced by too much or too little water. Borders must be broken down to accommodate all citizens of the world as landscapes and shorelines change. Many more may find themselves living on floating homes rather than dry land in the future.

Methods of controlling floods and rising water levels