3.1.3.3 River landscapes in the UK (part b) GapFill

Hard engineering involves the use of  damsnaturerock onlyconcrete, rock and timber whilst soft engineering involves working with  cheapnaturalnatureexpensive Hard strategies are  expensivedismantleextreme weathercheap and involve changing the river – cutting off  fieldsdrainage basinmeanderslevees and building  bendsexpensiveerosiondams However, soft strategies are  cheaperexpensiveextreme weatherdrainage basin they involve putting in meanders and reed  fieldsbedscheapertwist encouraging the river to follow its natural  concretecoursefieldsdrainage basin Soft engineering is sustainable because it is cheap to  constructdismantlecheapdam and maintain. It involves understanding the river and how it will  twistflowdamflooding in the future. Planting trees intercept rainfall so they reduce  floodingextreme weatherdamsbends and putting in meanders gives the flood waters more  through-flowexpensiveextreme weatherspace so that it will not ruin a built-up area.