How Giving Rivers More Room Enhances Flood Control and Biodiversity
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📰 The quick summary: A new management approach giving rivers more space to move naturally reduces flood risks while supporting biodiversity, improving water quality, and storing carbon.
📈 One key stat: Floodplain river systems provide about 25% of all land-based ecosystem services including water retention and pollutant filtration.
💬 One key quote: “It’s time to embrace a new paradigm for river management – one that sees rivers not as threats to be controlled, but as lifelines to be protected and restored.”
1️⃣ The big picture: Scientists advocate for a fundamental shift in how we manage rivers to address increasing flood risks from climate change. Instead of constraining rivers with concrete barriers and levees, new research shows that giving rivers more room to move naturally across their floodplains delivers multiple benefits. This approach not only helps manage flooding but also creates diverse habitats that support rich biodiversity. Rivers that flow freely develop complex features like side channels, pools, and springs, enabling ecosystems to be more resilient to future climate uncertainties.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: This natural approach to river management delivers benefits far beyond just flood control. Free-flowing rivers create varied habitats that support diverse plant and animal species, from endangered birds nesting on gravel beds to fish species adapted to different river conditions. The dynamic river systems improve water quality through natural filtration and help store carbon. These restored river ecosystems also provide recreational, educational and cultural benefits while building long-term resilience against climate change impacts.
3️⃣ What’s next: River management practitioners need to broaden their focus beyond flood control to include ecological variability in policy and programs. Nature-based solutions that work with rather than against natural river processes can create more resilient landscapes. This requires reimagining rivers as vital ecosystems to be protected rather than threats to be controlled.
Read the full story here: The Conversation – Giving rivers room to move: how rethinking flood management can benefit people and nature
