Human Response to Floods

One of the most conspicuous features of human settlement pattern is man’s affinity for riverine locations. In some cases man has learned to live with periodic inundations of the floodplain and has turned them to economic advantage. In the case of the Nile floods are a critical input into the economy. Despite the huge losses that have been experienced, floods have not discouraged settlement in river valleys. There are several possible adjustments to floods. These might be grouped into the following categories: accepting the loss; public relief; emergency action; structural changes; flood proofing; regulation of land use; and flood control. An immediate reaction to the announcement of a flood disaster is the establishment of a relief fund to assist flood victims. Like public relief, emergency action tends to encourage persistent human occupance of floodplains. Potential losses of property and income can be reduced by various types of emergency action or by rescheduling of activities.