Types of Channelisation

1) Re-alignment
Point: How it works: Re-alignment is the straightening of the river channel. This method removes meanders and reduces the length of the river channel. The straight channelincreases the speed of the river.

Explain: o The faster flow of the river allows water to flow away from the area more quickly and wash away sediments which have accumulated on the river bed, hence minimizing localized flooding. o This also deepens the channel, allowing it to hold more water, thus reducing the occurrence of floods. Both minimize flooding

Example: Waikanae River re-alignment at Jim Cooke Park (New Zealand)

2)Re-sectioning
Point: Advantages: o Re-sectioning increases the channels ability to hold water, thus decreasing the chances of floods. Re-sectioning is the widening and deepening of the river channel.

o Re-sectioning also increases the amount of surface runofffrom the surrounding areasinto the rivermore surface runoff can now enter the river without causing it to flood. o In addition, the river bed and banks may be smoothened by replacing the soil of the river banksand bed with cement and granite. By doing so, there is less friction between the water and river bed and banks. Thus, the speed of the river will increase and allow water to flow away from the area more quickly.

The danger of flooding is reduced Example: Re-sectioning has been carried out in Singapore River to widen and deepen the channel.

3)Bank protection Point: The purpose of bank protection is to prevent floods from occurring to reduce soil erosion along river banks.

Method/How it works (1): A method of bank protection is building artificial levees or dykes. o These walls of sand, stone or concrete are built along rivers that oftenoverflow their banks. o These structures increase the capacity of the river to hold water, thereby reducing chances of flooding.
Example:

In China, dykes have been built for centuries in the lower course of the Yellow River.

Disadvantages:

(evaluation)However, these dykes have not been very successful because of sediments on the river bed, making the channel shallower.

This has caused water levels to rise higher than the dyke walls over the years. (method to tackle disadvantage): Thus, o higher dykes have to be built regularly o or the sediments have to be dug up and removed from the river bed.

Method/How it works (2):

Point:

In some countries, concrete structures like gabions and revetments are built along a river channel to divert the flow of water from the river banks to the centre of the channel.

Explain:

This protects the river banks from being eroded by the force of running water, thereby reducing the amount of sediments that flow into the river. When less sedimentsare washed into the river, the capacity of the river to hold water increases. When this happens the river channel will flood less frequently.

4)Planting vegetation
Point: Planting vegetation along a river can also protect river banks against erosion.

Explain: o as the roots of trees and other plants hold the soil together firmly.

o Vegetation also slows down the rate of surface runoff, preventing large amounts of water from entering the river at any one time. o Furthermore, planting vegetation reduces the amount of eroded sediments being transported into the river, Thus, the channel does not become shallower, reducing the chances of floods Example:

Effectiveness of channelization
1) Flooding downstream Point: The increased speed of the river after channelization may result in flooding downstream. As a result of channelization upstream, the volume of water flooding downstream is increased. However, the channel in the area downstream may not be able to contain the increased flow of water. The channel overflows and flooding results.

Explain:

Conclusion: Hence, although floods in one part of the rivers course are managed, they can still occur in another part of the river.

2) Accumulation of sediments Point/introduction: With channelization, the river now has higher speed and more energy to carry the sediments, which are normally deposited on the river bed, getwashed downstream or into the sea or ocean.

Disadvantages:

o The increased sediments in the oceans have resulted in less sunlight reaching the seabed, affecting the growth of marine life like seagrasses and coral reefs. o The construction of dykes, revetments and gabions also causes sediments to accumulate behind these structures. Over time, as sediments continue to build up, the river channel becomes shallower, Thus when prolonged rains occur, the water in the river may overflow these structures and lead toflooding

3)Loss of marine life and wetlands Point: Explain: In the process of channelization, ecosystems may be destroyed. For example, although there are benefits in planting vegetation along river banks,

o too much vegetation can harm marine life. Excessive shadeprevents sunlight from reaching the river bed, killing aquatic plants and affecting aquatic food chains. Changing the course of the river and lining the natural banks of the river with concrete surfaces in channel re-sectioning, also o affect plants and animals as their habitats may be destroyed. Channelisation may also lead to the o disappearance of wetlands, In the case of river re-alignment, for example, by shortening the course of rivers, the area of wetland shrinks because the river flows over a smaller land area now.

Example (to explain):  For instance, to prevent further destruction of wetlands, the government of the United States of America has now implemented a

no net loss in wetlands policy which aims to discourage channelization. When channelization is carried out along a river, it is necessary to create an area of wetland in another area along the river. This policy ensures that plants and animals that live in wetlands continue to have a place to live in.