Flooding the headlines...
Flooding has been splashed all over the
headlines in the last couple of months,
but what we really need to look at is why
has it flooded?
Flooding is a natural occurrence among riverbanks, there
is no debate there, but the impact of flooding and indeed
the severity of flooding is strongly influenced by human
activity. Asking ourselves why will herald solutions in
terms of creating plans to lessen the effects with which it
has on our livelihood.
The idea that excessive rainfall is the sole cause for this
flooding is ignorant and foolish, it is down to mass human
development on natural flood plains and marshland.
Even the removal of native species such as the beaver
has lead to an increase in flooding as if re-introduced
they would produce dams lessening the negative effects
of flooding upon lower lying land. This however does lead
to implications in areas where the dams are located as
they could potentially flood the surrounding land but is
this a necessary sacrifice?
Even cutting down trees has increased the susceptibility
of vulnerable areas to flooding . Is flooding therefore as
James Lovelock would say, the revenge of Gaia?
(continued on next page)