ENVIRONMENT AGENCY WALES - FLOOD AWARENESS
In 2010 the Environment Agency, Wales made data available for educational use. These resources have been incorporated within the appropriate NGfL folders. The table below indicates:1. where delivery of the WJEC specification Key ideas could be enhanced by using EA Wales data
2. the links on the NGfL Cymru site and
3. suggested activities associated with the EA Cymru data.
Key Question and Specified Content / NGfL Cymru Links / Suggested Activities using E.A. Data
AS G1Theme 1 Investigating climate change
1.4 What are the issues resulting from climate change?
- Increasing levels of extreme weather and the impacts on human activities.
- Rising SL and their impact on people
Links to interactive flood maps on the Environment Agency website. Floodplans may be developed for home and school (Environment Agency) / Use the Environment Agency web sites given to complete the activities
Are you in an area that might be flooded?
Research the Environment Agency Interactive Flood Map to find the predicted risk of flooding in your school and/or home from rivers and the sea
Flood Maps
Is there a current flood alert for your area? Search the interactive realtime page which gives the number and severity of floodwarnings currently in force
Forecasting and Warning
Register online to receive floodwarning up dates. Flood Forecasting Centre: Homepage of the joint partnership between the MetOffice and Environment Agency.
Flood Forecasting Centre
Activity 1
What should you do when it floods?
How can I be prepared? General preparation information and further Environment Agency links.
General preparation information
Make a flood plan
Blank flood plan document
Prepare your home for flooding
How to reduce flood damage
Diagram - how to prevent flood water entering your home
Activity 2
Work in groups to develop a flood plan for your school.
Questions you could address include:
- Who is responsible for flood alerts?
- Who do you contact in the local area?
- How do you prepare the school for flooding?
Key Question and Specified Content / NGfL Cymru Links / Suggested Activities using E.A. Data
AS G1 Theme 2 Investigating hydrological change
2.4 What are the hydrological
processes associated with
drainage basins?
- The drainage basin system to include inputs, flows, stores and outputs.
- The characteristics of river regimes and the physical and human factors influencing them.
- The characteristics of flood hydrographs and the human and physical factors influencing them.
consequences of flooding?
2.6 How is the flood hazard perceived and managed within a drainage basin?
- The physical and human characteristics of a drainage basin that cause flooding.
- The relative importance of these factors in different flood events.
- The physical impacts of flooding within a drainage basin.
- The demographic, economic and social impacts of flooding.
- Different perceptions and awareness of the flood hazard by groups within a drainage basin.
- Strategies to manage flood hazards.
Construction and analysis of climate and river regime graphs in S Wales (NGfL Cymru)
Hydrological Change - Flood Hydrographs
Investigation into the causes of flooding in contrasting drainage basins in Wales (NGfL Cymru and Environment Agency)
Hydrological Change - Flood Management
Evaluation of a 2007 flood alleviation scheme in S Wales (NGfL Cymru and Environment Agency)
Flood management
Environment Agency Catchment Flood Management plans (Environment Agency) / Excel data files of monthly rainfall and river height in S Wales are used to construct and analyse climate and river regime graphs as both whiteboard and independent student activities.
Excel data files of hourly rainfall and river height for three contrasting drainage basins in S Wales, [R Thaw, R Cynon, R Wye] are used to construct and analyse flood hydrographs as both whiteboard and independent student activities. OS maps, sketch maps, photographs, videos and other Geographical Information Systems provide the background to an ‘Investigation into factors causing differing river flood levels’.
Real time EA data [and current weather patterns] can help your interpretation of 'What influences the flood response in a river?' [investigation 5]
Real time river levels
The Hirwaun data illustrates the headwaters of the R Cynon.
Hirwaun data
The R Wye data can be analysed to show changing flood response times downstream.
River Wye
A Decision-Making-Exercise, using virtual fieldwork, on the best option to reduce river flooding in Cowbridge area, contains data on the history of flooding in the area, outlines of the different options considered by Environmental Agency Wales, the different economic costs and the environmental impact once built. Whiteboard and independent student activities use OS maps, constructor’s diagrams, old newspapers, spider diagrams, calculations.
Photographs with sound commentary allow students to visualise and assess the success of the chosen scheme
The Environment Agency link allows students to use real time data for investigation into their own or a selected area.
Environment Agency River levels
Use HiFlows-UK to find flood peak data at river flow gauging stations in the UK. Maps show the location of over 1000 gauging stations. Raw data is available. Use the 'POT CSV' files (found here) which can be imported into Excel
These activities make use of the flooding information and information on river and sea levels provided by the Environment Agency so that people living in flood risk areas are better informed and can decide what actions to take as the water levels change. Monitoring stations that measure the levels of rivers, lakes, sea and groundwater are located across England and Wales and measurements are taken electronically by sensors before being automatically sent back to the Agency.
What is meant by flood risk?
Flood Risk
What is meant by flood likelihood?
Flood likelihood
Research a management plan in your area
Flood Management Plans
EA Catchment Flood Management plans. Overview of the flood risk across each river catchment. Plans recommend ways of managing those risks now and over the next 50 -100 years.
Key Question and Specified Content / NGfL Cymru Links / Suggested Activities using E.A. Data
AS investigation
Students are to complete an investigation using primaryand/or secondary data into a changing physical environment.Students should be involved in the planning and decision-making to enhance their understanding of the enquiry process. e.g.s of a suitable Q What hydrological factors affect the flashiness of river floods? How successful is the Cowbridge flood alleviation scheme? / The investigation of Cowbridge flood alleviation scheme above could provide secondary data for this activity.
Other activities from NGfL Cymru resources could be investigation into causes of contrasting flood responses in three rivers in S Wales. / The Cowbridge link provides a virtual investigation of a flood alleviaton scheme.
The EA links allow students to use realtime data for investigation into their own or a selected area.
Use HiFlows-UK to find flood peak data at river flow gauging stations in the UK. Maps show the location of over 1000 gauging stations.
Key Question and Specified Content / NGfL Cymru Links / Suggested Activities using E.A. Data
A2 G3 Choice of optional Units
Theme 2b Coastal Landforms and their management
- Why do coastal landforms need to be managed?
- What are the methods used to mnage coastal environments and how successful are these strategies?
These activities make use of the flooding information and information on river and sea levels provided by the Environment Agency so that people living in flood risk areas are better informed and can decide what actions to take as the water levels change. Monitoring stations that measure the levels of rivers, lakes, sea and groundwater are located across England and Wales and measurements are taken electronically by sensors before being automatically sent back to the Agency. / Use the web links to investigate the Government coastal strategy policy 2010 which contains useful maps, photographs and case studies.
Research a local Shoreline development plan
DEFRA
Environment Agency
Key Question and Specified Content / NGfL Cymru Links / Suggested Activities using E.A. Data
Theme 3 Climatic Hazards
- What are the inter-relationships between human activity and climate? The short and long term effects of low pressure and high pressure climatic hazards.
- What strategies are used to reduce the impact of climatic hazards? Evaluation of strategies to reduce the impact of low-pressure, high-pressure climatic hazards.
The contrasting effects of hurricanes in the Caribbean are investigated using a variety of resources including numerical data, photos, aerial images, newspaper articles, interactive ICT, animations and posters. Activities include: describing impacts; evaluating strategies; contrasting effects on New Orleans, USA, MEDC and Guatemala, LEDC. / Global climatic hazards of hurricanes activities.
Link to flooding management above.
Key Question and Specified Content / NGfL Cymru Links / Suggested Activities using E.A. Data
G3 Research themes. Choice of one theme from 10 research areas.
9 Rivers:
The specific topic for indivual, but guided, research within each theme is altered each year and is published on the WJEC web site.
e.g. title for 2011Human influences on river flow.PublishedPotential aims/ titles for an investigation are:
- How does land use influence river flow?
- How does river flow vary above and below a reservoir?
- How does river flow vary between an urban area and rural area?
- What impact do bridges have on river flow?
- What is the impact of water extraction on river flow?
- How do flood control measures affect river flow?