Flood Management Strategies in Melbourne - Assignment Example

The common strategies used in the councils include drainage systems, retarding basins, and awareness creation. In general, the strategies can be divided into structural and non-structural strategies. The structural strategies include wetlands, retarding basins, levee banks, tree pits, porous pavements, rain gardens, drainage systems, swales, infiltration trenches, and rainwater tanks. The non-structural strategies include the flood warning systems, FloodSafe, StormSafe, actions before the flood, actions during the flood, actions after the flood, community awareness, flood wardens, strategic control priorities, and information to the community.

The authorities and councils have, therefore, made a great step in managing floods in Melbourne.2.0 IntroductionFlood management entails all the methods and techniques used to prevent or reduce the negative impacts of floodwater (Kundzewicz et al. 2014). It is the methods put in place to minimize the impacts of high levels of water or floods. Floods are due to either or a combination of a higher rate of snowmelt, heavy rainfall, tsunamis, higher tides, the severe wind blowing the water bodies, or failure of the retention ponds, levees, and dams, or other structures that retain water.

The rates of floods can be increased by natural hazards like wildfires that reduce the vegetation cover to absorb the rainfall. Floods can occur as rivers overflow their banks to develop flood plains. In explanation, during the rainy season, some of the water is accommodated in soil or water bodies while others are absorbed by vegetation and some evaporate. Some of the water also travels through surface runoff. Failure from these instruments to absorb or transport water can lead to a flood thus making the stream channels not able to contain the whole amount of water.

When a flood increases rapidly it is referred to as a flash flood. Flash floods can be caused by high rainfall in a place that is relatively small or if the area was previously saturated due to precipitation. Floods have both positive and negative effects. The positive effect is that it can make soils fertile by carrying the humus from one area to another. However, floods can destroy properties and reduce biological diversity through sediment deposition and soil erosion. It can also cause traffic delays, interfere with the economical land use and drainage system.

Floods can also damage structures such as sewer lines, bank lines, and bridge abutments among others. Melbourne is the most populous and capital of Victoria, Australian State. In Australia, it was the second-most populous city. The capital is about 9,900 square kilometers that entail its metropolitan area and the city center (Austalia2016Population 2016). Melbourne has thirty-one municipalities with a population of approximately 5.20 million. Melbourne water management is an organization that deals with the management of the water catchments, supply and treats drinking water and recycle, treat and remove the Melbourne’s sewage.

The organization also works in the management of the drainage systems and waterways in the Westernport and Port Philip region. The organization builds strong relationships with the suppliers, stakeholders, and customers in the industry, government, and community and takes care of the people’s wellbeing and health.