floodcontrol

Flood control refers to the range of engineering, planning, and policy measures intended to reduce the impacts of flooding on people, property, and economic activity. It encompasses structural interventions that alter hydrology and hydraulics, as well as non-structural strategies that reduce vulnerability and exposure. Flood control is a core component of water resources management and disaster risk reduction, applied at local, regional, and national scales.

Structural measures include flood storage and conveyance facilities such as dams, reservoirs, levees, floodwalls, and channel improvements; stormwater drainage systems; pumping stations; and retention basins. In recent decades, nature-based or hybrid approaches—such as floodplain restoration, wetlands, and permeable surfaces—are increasingly used to attenuate flows and provide ecological co-benefits.

Non-structural measures aim to reduce risk without altering watercourses, including land-use planning and zoning to steer development away from high-risk zones, stricter building codes, and flood-proofing of structures, as well as flood-warning and evacuation planning. Insurance programs, flood-risk disclosure, and community engagement are also common components to distribute risk and incentivize risk reduction.

Effective flood control relies on weather and hydrological forecasting, river and rainfall monitoring, modeling to simulate scenarios, and integrated water-resource management. In many countries, governments coordinate flood-control policy through agencies responsible for emergency management, urban planning, and infrastructure. Notable programs include comprehensive flood defenses in delta regions, and national flood insurance or aid schemes.