Rivers & Flooding

River systems, flood management

Rivers and Flooding

Rivers shape the land through erosion, transportation and deposition. A river system includes the source, tributaries, floodplain and mouth. Flooding happens when rivers overflow their banks due to heavy rainfall.

Example

SA Rivers and Floods

Major rivers: Orange (longest), Vaal, Limpopo, Tugela KZN floods (April 2022): • Heavy rainfall over several days • Rivers burst their banks • Over 400 deaths, thousands homeless • Infrastructure destroyed

Note

Remember

Floods happen due to: heavy rainfall, deforestation, building on floodplains, blocked drains. Prevention: don't build in flood zones, maintain drains, plant trees. Climate change is increasing extreme rainfall.

Key Vocabulary

FloodplainFlat land beside a river that floods when it overflows

ErosionWearing away of rock and soil by water or wind

TributaryA smaller river that flows into a larger one

DepositionWhen a river drops sand and mud it has been carrying

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Floodplain

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