TITLE:
Renaturalizing Floodplains
AUTHORS:
Marcelle Nardelli Baptista, Ricardo Valcarcel
KEYWORDS:
Renaturalization, Ecosystem Services, Flooding, Natural Flood Defense Schemes
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Water Resource and Protection,
Vol.10 No.5,
May
30,
2018
ABSTRACT: This manuscript analyzes and discusses viewpoints concerning the renaturalization of floodplains as an instrument of management in large catchments, using natural flood defense schemes. Schemes consider the differentiated supply of ecosystemic services based on river channel/floodplain interactions. Conventional structural methods used to prevent flooding (e.g., longitudinal dikes) are increasingly showing themselves to be less efficient with regard to advances in the problems of environmental management of the territory, especially when combined with extreme events, where the importance of perfecting strategies for harmonizing duly controlled floodable areas and water retention can be seen. Natural flood risk reduction measures are part of a holistic solution for sustainable management of flood risk, conservation of nature, water quality and green economy. They rely upon the inherent ability of floodplains to retain water in the basin, and this can delay and reduce peak flows.