Rivers Theory

Water vapour, transpiration, evaporation, rain and snow (precipitation), infiltration, ground water, water table, lakes and streams

Interlocking spursource

v shaped valleyvalley side

interlocking spurspur

channelriver bank

loadriver bed

Interlocking Spurs: As the river descends from the highland, it begins to meander between spurs which interlock down the valley.

Answer the following questions in full sentences:

1. What is a levee?2. Describe what a flood plain is.3. What is a delta?4. How does a delta form?5. Why does a flood occur?6. What human activities make

flooding worse?7. Outline the ways in which rivers can

be managed.

Case Study - Bangladesh

Bangladesh

Flood manageme

nt

Later effects

Immediate effects

Human causes of

the floods

Physical causes

of floods

Bangladesh floods 2004

Copy out and fill in the answers below:

• The flat land within each flood plain is ______, and the country is densely _______. As a result, floods on any of the _____ rivers can affect a vast number of people.

• When all of the rivers run high with monsoon rains and melting snow from the ________ Mountains (the source of the rivers), much of Bangladesh can be under water.

• ______ help make the cultivable land in Bangladesh fertile and thus help the __________ sector of the country. But, excessive flood is considered a calamity.

• The floods have caused havoc in Bangladesh throughout history, especially during the recent years: 1987, 1988, and 1998. The most recent one occurred in 2007.

• According to government statistics 76- people died and 35 million people were badly affected by it. 8.5 million people were left homeless.

Agriculture, fertile, floods, three, populated, Himalaya

Bangladesh is built over the flood plains of three major rivers, the Brahmaputra, Meghna, and Ganges Rivers.

The three rivers converge in Bangladesh and empty into the Bay of Bengal through the largest river delta in the world.

The top picture shows the satellite taken on 12th October 2005, while the one below shows the same area on September 19th 2005. Look how much more water is in the area in October.

Physical causes of floods

Human causes of floods

Immediate effects Later effects

1. What are the short term solutions to flood management in Bangladesh?

2. What are the long term solutions to flood management in Bangladesh?

3. What do some people think Bangladesh really needs to avoid flooding in the future?

1. Why do rivers flood? (2)2. Outline ways in which rivers can be managed (4)3. Explain how deforestation can lead to flooding.

Refer to a case-study area (6)4. For a type of natural hazard you have studied,

explain how its damaging effects can be reduced (6)

5. Why does it often take a long time for LEDCs to recover from floods? (6)

6. Flooding is often caused by a combination of physical and human factors. Use examples to explain this statement (6)

GCSE questions - rivers

1. Why do rivers flood? (2)2. Outline ways in which rivers can be managed (4)3. Explain how deforestation can lead to flooding.

Refer to a case-study area (6)4. For a type of natural hazard you have studied,

explain how its damaging effects can be reduced (6)

5. Why does it often take a long time for LEDCs to recover from floods? (6)

6. Flooding is often caused by a combination of physical and human factors. Use examples to explain this statement (6)

Flooding in an MEDC

Answer the following questions:

1. How many lives were lost?2. How many homes were lost?3. What was the effect upon farmland?4. How much did the damage cost?5. What measures were taken to reduce the

flood risk?6. How do you think the area should deal

with any future floods?