125-438: Coastal management is defence against flooding and erosion , and techniques that stop erosion to claim lands. Protection against rising sea levels in the 21st century is crucial, as sea level rise accelerates due to climate change . Changes in sea level damage beaches and coastal systems are expected to rise at an increasing rate, causing coastal sediments to be disturbed by tidal energy. Coastal zones occupy less than 15% of
250-449: A dam , landslide, or glacier . In one instance, a flash flood killed eight people enjoying the water on a Sunday afternoon at a popular waterfall in a narrow canyon. Without any observed rainfall, the flow rate increased from about 50 to 1,500 cubic feet per second (1.4 to 42 m /s) in just one minute. Two larger floods occurred at the same site within a week, but no one was at the waterfall on those days. The deadly flood resulted from
375-646: A flash flood . Flash floods usually result from intense rainfall over a relatively small area, or if the area was already saturated from previous precipitation. The amount, location, and timing of water reaching a drainage channel from natural precipitation and controlled or uncontrolled reservoir releases determines the flow at downstream locations. Some precipitation evaporates, some slowly percolates through soil, some may be temporarily sequestered as snow or ice, and some may produce rapid runoff from surfaces including rock, pavement, roofs, and saturated or frozen ground. The fraction of incident precipitation promptly reaching
500-515: A landslide , earthquake or volcanic eruption . Examples include outburst floods and lahars . Tsunamis can cause catastrophic coastal flooding , most commonly resulting from undersea earthquakes. The primary effects of flooding include loss of life and damage to buildings and other structures, including bridges, sewerage systems, roadways, and canals. The economic impacts caused by flooding can be severe. Every year flooding causes countries billions of dollars worth of damage that threatens
625-484: A tropical cyclone or an extratropical cyclone , falls within this category. A storm surge is "an additional rise of water generated by a storm, over and above the predicted astronomical tides". Due to the effects of climate change (e.g. sea level rise and an increase in extreme weather events) and an increase in the population living in coastal areas, the damage caused by coastal flood events has intensified and more people are being affected. Flooding in estuaries
750-770: A common feature of beaches and provide a habitat for many organisms. They are useful when preventing the erosion of beaches, and can catch windblown sand which over time increases the natural formation of the beach. To stabilize sand dunes, foredune flora and backdune flora are planted. Foredune flora are typically plants with a tolerance for salt spray, strong winds and are capable surviving being buried underneath blown sand. Some examples are Ammophila arenaria , Honckenya peploides , Cakile maritima , and Spartina coarctata . Whereas backdune flora grow into dense patches called dune mats, which helps to hold dune structure. Examples of backdune flora are Hudsonia tomentosa , spartina patens , and Iva imbricata . After these plants have taken root,
875-461: A country can be lost in extreme flood circumstances. Some tree species may not survive prolonged flooding of their root systems. Flooding in areas where people live also has significant economic implications for affected neighborhoods. In the United States , industry experts estimate that wet basements can lower property values by 10–25 percent and are cited among the top reasons for not purchasing
1000-520: A different foreign policy response to the crisis. A similar situation arose in Romania between President Traian Băsescu and Prime Minister Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu in 2007–2008 and again in 2012 with Prime Minister Victor Ponta , who both opposed the president. A number of ad hoc meetings of heads of state or government of the member states of the euro area were held in 2010 and 2011 to discuss
1125-538: A drainage channel has been observed from nil for light rain on dry, level ground to as high as 170 percent for warm rain on accumulated snow. Most precipitation records are based on a measured depth of water received within a fixed time interval. Frequency of a precipitation threshold of interest may be determined from the number of measurements exceeding that threshold value within the total time period for which observations are available. Individual data points are converted to intensity by dividing each measured depth by
1250-627: A few minutes for roof and parking lot drainage structures, while cumulative rainfall over several days would be critical for river basins. Water flowing downhill ultimately encounters downstream conditions slowing movement. The final limitation in coastal flooding lands is often the ocean or some coastal flooding bars which form natural lakes . In flooding low lands, elevation changes such as tidal fluctuations are significant determinants of coastal and estuarine flooding. Less predictable events like tsunamis and storm surges may also cause elevation changes in large bodies of water. Elevation of flowing water
1375-605: A few. Gastrointestinal disease and diarrheal diseases are very common due to a lack of clean water during a flood. Most of clean water supplies are contaminated when flooding occurs. Hepatitis A and E are common because of the lack of sanitation in the water and in living quarters depending on where the flood is and how prepared the community is for a flood. When floods hit, people lose nearly all their crops, livestock, and food reserves and face starvation. Floods also frequently damage power transmission and sometimes power generation , which then has knock-on effects caused by
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#17330935737271500-721: A home. According to the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), almost 40 percent of small businesses never reopen their doors following a flooding disaster. In the United States, insurance is available against flood damage to both homes and businesses. Economic hardship due to a temporary decline in tourism, rebuilding costs, or food shortages leading to price increases is a common after-effect of severe flooding. The impact on those affected may cause psychological damage to those affected, in particular where deaths, serious injuries and loss of property occur. Fatalities connected directly to floods are usually caused by drowning ;
1625-499: A lower level", to lead in foreign policy — acting externally as a "collective Head of State ", "formal ratification of important documents" and "involvement in the negotiation of the treaty changes ". Since the institution is composed of national leaders, it gathers the executive power of the member states and has thus a great influence in high-profile policy areas as for example foreign policy . It also exercises powers of appointment, such as appointment of its own President ,
1750-485: A managed retreat. The main cost is generally the purchase of land to be abandoned. Relocation compensation may be needed. Human-made structures that will be engulfed by the sea may need to be removed. In some cases, armouring is used to protect land beyond the area to be flooded. Costs may be lowest if existing defences are left to fail naturally, but the realignment project may be more actively managed, for example by creating an artificial breach in existing defences to allow
1875-486: A more distant point controls at higher water levels. Effective flood channel geometry may be changed by growth of vegetation, accumulation of ice or debris, or construction of bridges, buildings, or levees within the flood channel. Periodic floods occur on many rivers, forming a surrounding region known as the flood plain . Even when rainfall is relatively light, the shorelines of lakes and bays can be flooded by severe winds—such as during hurricanes —that blow water into
2000-462: A quicker fashion. Sand dunes are vulnerable to human activities. Therefore, they need as little human interaction as possible for their protection. Human coastal activities has led to the erosion and loss of plant life on sand dunes. Plant life has been established as an important stabilizing factor of sand dunes and the loss of it will cause more erosion. To prevent this, noticeboards, leaflets, and beach wardens explain to visitors how to avoid damaging
2125-570: A river or creek as it discharges across a sandy coastline. The walls stabilise and deepen the channel which benefits navigation, flood management, river erosion and water quality, but can cause coastal erosion by interrupting longshore drift. One solution is a sand bypassing system to pump sand under/around the training walls. Storm surge barriers, or floodgates , were introduced after the North Sea Flood of 1953 and prevent damage from storm surges or any other type of natural disaster that could harm
2250-434: A squeeze. An upside to the strategy is that moving seaward (and upward) can create land of high value which can bring investment. Limited intervention is an action taken whereby the management only addresses the problem to a certain extent, usually in areas of low economic significance. Limited intervention often includes the succession of haloseres , including salt marshes and sand dunes. This normally results in protecting
2375-413: A thunderstorm over part of the drainage basin, where steep, bare rock slopes are common and the thin soil was already saturated. Flash floods are the most common flood type in normally-dry channels in arid zones, known as arroyos in the southwest United States and many other names elsewhere. In that setting, the first flood water to arrive is depleted as it wets the sandy stream bed. The leading edge of
2500-520: A type of hybrid river/areal flooding can occur, known locally as "overland flooding". This is different from "overland flow" defined as "surface runoff". The Red River Valley is a former glacial lakebed, created by Lake Agassiz , and over a length of 550 mi (890 km), the river course drops only 236 ft (72 m), for an average slope of about 5 inches per mile (or 8.2 cm per kilometer). In this very large area, spring snowmelt happens at different rates in different places, and if winter snowfall
2625-828: Is a collegiate body ( directorial system ) that defines the overall political direction and priorities of the European Union . The European Council is part of the executive of the European Union (EU), beside the European Commission . It is composed of the heads of state or of government of the EU member states , the President of the European Council , and the President of the European Commission . The High Representative of
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#17330935737272750-400: Is a corresponding loss of beach material on the updrift side, requiring another groyne there. Groynes do not protect the beach against storm-driven waves and if placed too close together create currents that carry material offshore. Shapes of groynes can be straight, outwardly curved away in opposite direction from downdrift. Groynes are cost-effective, require little maintenance and are one of
2875-655: Is a problem along the Hampshire and Sussex coastline in the UK; e.g., at Worthing . Walls of concrete and masonry are used to protect a settlement against erosion or flooding. They are typically about 3–5 metres (10–16 ft) high. Older-style vertical seawalls reflected all the energy of the waves back out to sea, and for this purpose were often given recurved crest walls which increased local turbulence, and thus increased entrainment of sand and sediment. During storms, sea walls help longshore drift. Modern seawalls aim to re-direct most of
3000-405: Is also the intentional flooding of land that would otherwise remain dry. This may take place for agricultural, military, or river-management purposes. For example, agricultural flooding may occur in preparing paddy fields for the growing of semi-aquatic rice in many countries. Flooding may occur as an overflow of water from water bodies, such as a river , lake , sea or ocean. In these cases,
3125-576: Is an example of measures not related to ports. Protection of the shore in Italy, England and the Netherlands began in the 6th century or earlier. Attack from the sea caused many coastal towns and their harbours to be abandoned. Other harbours were lost due to natural causes such as rapid silting, shoreline advance or retreat, etc. The Venetian Lagoon was one of the few populated coastal areas with continuous prosperity and development where written reports document
3250-419: Is common when heavy flows move uprooted woody vegetation and flood-damaged structures and vehicles, including boats and railway equipment. Recent field measurements during the 2010–11 Queensland floods showed that any criterion solely based upon the flow velocity, water depth or specific momentum cannot account for the hazards caused by velocity and water depth fluctuations. These considerations ignore further
3375-493: Is commonly caused by a combination of storm surges caused by winds and low barometric pressure and large waves meeting high upstream river flows. The intentional flooding of land that would otherwise remain dry may take place for agricultural, military or river-management purposes. This is a form of hydraulic engineering . Agricultural flooding may occur in preparing paddy fields for the growing of semi-aquatic rice in many countries. Flooding for river management may occur in
3500-400: Is controlled by the geometry of the flow channel and, especially, by depth of channel, speed of flow and amount of sediments in it Flow channel restrictions like bridges and canyons tend to control water elevation above the restriction. The actual control point for any given reach of the drainage may change with changing water elevation, so a closer point may control for lower water levels until
3625-437: Is generally used to absorb wave energy and hold beach material as riprap does. Often referred to as titan tubes as manufactured by Flint Technical Geosolutions. Longshore drift is not hindered. Boulders and rocks are wired into mesh cages and placed in front of areas vulnerable to erosion: sometimes at cliffs edges or at right angles to the beach. When the ocean lands on the gabion, the water drains through leaving sediment, while
3750-401: Is generally used to absorb wave energy and hold beach material. Although effective, this solution is unpopular for aesthetic reasons. Longshore drift is not hindered. Rock armour has a limited lifespan, is not effective in storm conditions and reduces recreational values. Geotextile tubes or geotubes are large geotextile bags placed at the sea edge filled with locally available sand slurry. This
3875-461: Is more significant to flooding within small drainage basins. The most important upslope factor in determining flood magnitude is the land area of the watershed upstream of the area of interest. Rainfall intensity is the second most important factor for watersheds of less than approximately 30 square miles or 80 square kilometres. The main channel slope is the second most important factor for larger watersheds. Channel slope and rainfall intensity become
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4000-583: Is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide . Floods are of significant concern in agriculture , civil engineering and public health . Human changes to the environment often increase the intensity and frequency of flooding. Examples for human changes are land use changes such as deforestation and removal of wetlands , changes in waterway course or flood controls such as with levees . Global environmental issues also influence causes of floods, namely climate change which causes an intensification of
4125-839: The Europa building in Brussels. Decisions of the European Council are taken by consensus, except where the Treaties provide otherwise. The European Council officially gained the status of an EU institution after the Treaty of Lisbon in 2007, distinct from the Council of the European Union (Council of Ministers). Before that, the first summits of EU heads of state or government were held in February and July 1961 (in Paris and Bonn respectively). They were informal summits of
4250-631: The European Council in 1999. This document was prepared by the Group of Specialists on Coastal Protection and underlies national legislation and practice. The Group of Specialists originated in 1995, pursuant to a decision by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. It emphasized the need for integrated management and planning, but that coastal areas continued to deteriorate. The Group claimed that this
4375-641: The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy , and the President of the European Central Bank . It proposes, to the European Parliament , a candidate for President of the European Commission . Moreover, the European Council influences police and justice planning, the composition of the commission, matters relating to the organisation of the rotating Council presidency,
4500-554: The Second World War ). Floods are caused by many factors or a combination of any of these generally prolonged heavy rainfall (locally concentrated or throughout a catchment area), highly accelerated snowmelt , severe winds over water, unusual high tides, tsunamis , or failure of dams, levees , retention ponds , or other structures that retained the water. Flooding can be exacerbated by increased amounts of impervious surface or by other natural hazards such as wildfires, which reduce
4625-636: The Treaty establishing the European Community provided (before it was amended by the Treaty of Lisbon ) that ‘ the Council , meeting in the composition of Heads of State or Government and acting by a qualified majority, shall nominate the person it intends to appoint as President of the Commission ’ (emphasis added); the same rule applied in some monetary policy provisions introduced by the Maastricht Treaty (e.g. Article 109j TEC). In that case, what
4750-562: The water table is shallow, such as a floodplain , or from intense rain from one or a series of storms . Infiltration also is slow to negligible through frozen ground, rock, concrete , paving, or roofs. Areal flooding begins in flat areas like floodplains and in local depressions not connected to a stream channel, because the velocity of overland flow depends on the surface slope. Endorheic basins may experience areal flooding during periods when precipitation exceeds evaporation. Floods occur in all types of river and stream channels, from
4875-614: The "empty chair crisis" and economic problems. The inaugural European Council , as it became known, was held in Dublin on 10 and 11 March 1975 during Ireland's first Presidency of the Council of Ministers . In 1987, it was included in the treaties for the first time (the Single European Act ) and had a defined role for the first time in the Maastricht Treaty . At first only a minimum of two meetings per year were required, which resulted in an average of three meetings per year being held for
5000-454: The 1975–1995 period. Since 1996, the number of meetings were required to be minimum four per year. For the latest 2008–2014 period, this minimum was well exceeded, by an average of seven meetings being held per year. The seat of the Council was formalised in 2002, basing it in Brussels. Three types of European Councils exist: Informal, Scheduled and Extraordinary. While the informal meetings are also scheduled 1½ years in advance, they differ from
5125-563: The Commission President likewise accompanied by another member of the commission. However, since the Treaty of Lisbon, this has been discontinued, as the size of the body had become somewhat large following successive accessions of new Member States to the Union. Meetings can also include other invitees, such as the President of the European Central Bank, as required. The Secretary-General of
Coastal management - Misplaced Pages Continue
5250-527: The Council attends, and is responsible for organisational matters, including minutes. The President of the European Parliament also attends to give an opening speech outlining the European Parliament 's position before talks begin. Additionally, the negotiations involve a large number of other people working behind the scenes. Most of those people, however, are not allowed to the conference room, except for two delegates per state to relay messages. At
5375-549: The Council of the EU retains that system, the European Council established, with no change in powers, a system of appointing an individual (without them being a national leader) for a two-and-a-half-year term—which can be renewed for the same person only once. Following the ratification of the treaty in December 2009, the European Council elected the then- Prime Minister of Belgium Herman Van Rompuy as its first permanent president; he resigned
5500-694: The Earth's land area, while they host more than 40% of the world population. Nearly 1.2 billion people live within 100 kilometres (62 mi) of a coastline and 100 metres (328 ft) of sea level , with an average density three times higher than the global average for population. With three-quarters of the world population expected to reside in the coastal zone by 2025, human activities originating from this small land area will impose heavy pressure on coasts. Coastal zones contain rich resources to produce goods and services and are home to most commercial and industrial activities. Coastal engineering of harbours began with
5625-458: The European Council and the Council of the European Union utilised the Justus Lipsius building as their Brussels venue. In order to make room for additional meeting space a number of renovations were made, including the conversion of an underground carpark into additional press briefing rooms. However, in 2004 leaders decided the logistical problems created by the outdated facilities warranted
5750-458: The European Council now taking formal legally binding decisions in these cases ( Article 15 of the Treaty on European Union ). The Treaty of Lisbon made the European Council a formal institution distinct from the (ordinary) Council of the EU, and created the present longer term and full-time presidency. As an outgrowth of the Council of the EU, the European Council had previously followed the same Presidency, rotating between each member state. While
5875-466: The European Union's response to the 11 September attacks . Some meetings of the European Council—and, before the European Council was formalised, meetings of the heads of government—are seen by some as turning points in the history of the European Union . For example: As such, the European Council had already existed before it gained the status as an institution of the European Union with
6000-516: The European level such as European political parties and political groups of the European Parliament . These alliances frequently hold pre-meetings with their European Council members, prior to their meetings. However, the members of the European Council represent their member states rather than political alliances, and decisions are generally made along national lines, though ideological alignment can colour political agreements and appointments (such as
6125-565: The Sovereign Debt crisis. It was agreed in October 2011 that they should meet regularly twice a year (with extra meetings if needed). This will normally be at the end of a European Council meeting and according to the same format (chaired by the President of the European Council and including the President of the Commission), but usually restricted to the (currently 20) heads of state or government of
6250-436: The Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy also takes part in its meetings. Established as an informal summit in 1975, the European Council was formalised as an institution in 2009 upon the commencement of the Treaty of Lisbon . Its current president is Antonio Costa , former Prime Minister of Portugal . While the European Council has no legislative power, it is a strategic (and crisis-solving) body that provides
6375-599: The United Kingdom into the Community and initiated foreign policy cooperation (the European Political Cooperation ) taking integration beyond economics. The summits were only formalised in the period between 1974 and 1988. At the December summit in Paris in 1974, following a proposal from then-French president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing , it was agreed that more high-level, political input was needed following
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#17330935737276500-687: The adverse ecological impact of the inundation. That impact may also be adverse in a hydrogeological sense if the inundation lasts a long time. Examples for uncontrolled inundations are the second Siege of Leiden during the first part of the Eighty Years' War , the flooding of the Yser plain during the First World War , and the Inundation of Walcheren , and the Inundation of the Wieringermeer during
6625-423: The amount of water damage and mold that grows after an incident. Research suggests that there will be an increase of 30–50% in adverse respiratory health outcomes caused by dampness and mold exposure for those living in coastal and wetland areas. Fungal contamination in homes is associated with increased allergic rhinitis and asthma. Vector borne diseases increase as well due to the increase in still water after
6750-587: The area they protect. They are habitually open and allow free passage, but close under threat of a storm surge. The Thames Barrier is an example of such a structure. Beach replenishment/nourishment involves importing sand from elsewhere and adding it to the existing beach. The imported sand should be of a similar quality to the existing beach material so it can meld with the natural local processes and without adverse effects. Beach nourishment can be used in combination with groynes. The scheme requires repeated applications on an annual or multi-year cycle. Sand dunes are
6875-442: The area. Also, beach areas can be closed to the public to reduce damage. Another option is fences which allow sand traps to create blowouts and increase windblown sand capture. Beach drainage or beach face dewatering lowers the water table locally beneath the beach face. This causes accretion of sand above the drainage system. Flooding A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids ) that submerges land that
7000-408: The back-shore. These techniques include beach nourishment and sand dune stabilization . Historically coastal strategies were heavily based on static structures, while coastal areas otherwise reflect a dynamic equilibrium . Armouring often has the unintended consequence of moving the problem to another part of the coast. Soft options such as beach nourishment protect coastlines and help to restore
7125-456: The coast, usually towards the back of the beach to protect the area beyond. The most basic revetments consist of timber slants with a possible rock infill. Waves break against the revetments, which dissipate and absorb the energy. The shoreline is protected by the beach material held behind the barriers, as the revetments trap some of the material. They may be watertight, covering the slope completely, or porous, to allow water to filter through after
7250-450: The coastline to trap the sedimentation of longshore drift to gradually create a beach and for it ongoing protection by eliminating coastal erosion, often made of greenharts, concrete, rock or wood. Material builds up on the downdrift side, where littoral drift is predominantly in one direction, creating a wider and a more plentiful beach, thereby protecting the coast because the sand material filters and absorbs wave energy. However, there
7375-477: The construction of a new purpose built seat able to cope with the nearly 6,000 meetings, working groups, and summits per year. This resulted in the Europa building , which opened its doors in 2017. The focal point of the new building, the distinctive multi-storey "lantern-shaped" structure in which the main meeting room is located, is utilised in both the European Council's and Council of the European Union's official logos. The EU command and control (C2) structure
7500-434: The deadliest floods worldwide, showing events with death tolls at or above 100,000 individuals. Floods (in particular more frequent or smaller floods) can also bring many benefits, such as recharging ground water , making soil more fertile and increasing nutrients in some soils. Flood waters provide much needed water resources in arid and semi-arid regions where precipitation can be very unevenly distributed throughout
7625-545: The decision by EU leaders to move towards a permanent seat for the European Council. Additionally, some scholars argue that the move, when coupled with the formalisation of the European Council in the Lisbon Treaty , represents an institutionalisation of an ad hoc EU organ that had its origins in Luxembourg compromise , with national leaders reasserting their dominance as the EU's "supreme political authority". Originally, both
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#17330935737277750-510: The entering into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, but even after it had been mentioned in the treaties (since the Single European Act) it could only take political decisions, not formal legal acts. However, when necessary, the Heads of State or Government could also meet as the Council of Ministers and take formal decisions in that role. Sometimes, this was even compulsory, e.g. Article 214(2) of
7875-624: The evolution of coastal protection works. In other words, this is one of the first accounts of the use of a sea wall to protect a coastal settlement. Little improvement took place beyond the Roman approach to harbour construction after the Renaissance . Then in the early 19th century, the advent of the steam engine , the search for new lands and trade routes, the expansion of the British Empire through her colonies, and other influences, all contributed to
8000-509: The field that is intended to impede the movement of the enemy. This may be done both for offensive and defensive purposes. Furthermore, in so far as the methods used are a form of hydraulic engineering, it may be useful to differentiate between controlled inundations and uncontrolled ones. Examples for controlled inundations include those in the Netherlands under the Dutch Republic and its successor states in that area and exemplified in
8125-532: The first dredgers in the Netherlands to maintain the harbour at Velsen . Silting problems there were solved when the previously sealed solid piers were replaced with new "open"-piled jetties . Ancient harbour works are still visible, but most of them disappeared following the fall of the Western Roman Empire even if submerged remains are sometimes still visible under water. Although most coastal efforts were directed to port structures, Venice and its lagoon
8250-470: The flood process; before, during and after. During floods accidents occur with falling debris or any of the many fast moving objects in the water. After the flood rescue attempts are where large numbers injuries can occur. Communicable diseases are increased due to many pathogens and bacteria that are being transported by the water .There are many waterborne diseases such as cholera , hepatitis A , hepatitis E and diarrheal diseases , to mention
8375-492: The flood thus advances more slowly than later and higher flows. As a result, the rising limb of the hydrograph becomes ever quicker as the flood moves downstream, until the flow rate is so great that the depletion by wetting soil becomes insignificant. Coastal areas may be flooded by storm surges combining with high tides and large wave events at sea, resulting in waves over-topping flood defenses or in severe cases by tsunami or tropical cyclones. A storm surge , from either
8500-403: The floods have settled. The diseases that are vector borne are malaria , dengue , West Nile , and yellow fever . Floods have a huge impact on victims' psychosocial integrity . People suffer from a wide variety of losses and stress . One of the most treated illness in long-term health problems are depression caused by the flood and all the tragedy that flows with one. Below is a list of
8625-428: The flow rate exceeds the capacity of the river channel , particularly at bends or meanders in the waterway . Floods often cause damage to homes and businesses if these buildings are in the natural flood plains of rivers. People could avoid riverine flood damage by moving away from rivers. However, people in many countries have traditionally lived and worked by rivers because the land is usually flat and fertile . Also,
8750-641: The form of diverting flood waters in a river at flood stage upstream from areas that are considered more valuable than the areas that are sacrificed in this way. This may be done ad hoc , or permanently, as in the so-called overlaten (literally "let-overs"), an intentionally lowered segment in Dutch riparian levees, like the Beerse Overlaat in the left levee of the Meuse between the villages of Gassel and Linden, North Brabant . Military inundation creates an obstacle in
8875-679: The high-profile summit as well as the Prime Minister (only two people from each country could attend the meetings). This was despite Stubb being Chair-in-Office of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe at the time which was heavily involved in the crisis. Problems also occurred in Poland where the President of Poland and the Prime Minister of Poland were of different parties and had
9000-508: The incident energy in the form of sloping revetments, resulting in low reflected waves and much reduced turbulence. Designs use porous designs of rock, concrete armour ( Tetrapods , Seabees , SHEDs, Xblocs , etc.) with flights of steps for beach access. The location of a seawall, must consider the swept prism of the beach profile, the consequences of long-term beach recession and amenity crest level, including cost implications. Sea walls can cause beaches to dissipate. Their presence also alters
9125-535: The land adjacent to the sea is low in value. A decision is made to allow the land to erode and flood, creating new shoreline habitats. This process may continue over many years. The earliest managed retreat in the UK was an area of 0.8 ha at Northey Island flooded in 1991. This was followed by Tollesbury and Orplands in Essex , where the sea walls were breached in 1995. In the Ebro Delta (Spain) coastal authorities planned
9250-428: The land behind the halosere, as wave energy dissipates throughout the accumulated sediment and additional vegetation in the new habitat. Although the halosere is not strictly man-made, as many natural processes contribute to the succession, anthropogenic factors are partially responsible for the formation, since an initial factor was needed to help start the process of succession. Groynes are ert or walls perpendicular to
9375-403: The land in quantities that cannot be carried within stream channels or retained in natural ponds, lakes, and human-made reservoirs . About 30 percent of all precipitation becomes runoff and that amount might be increased by water from melting snow. River flooding is often caused by heavy rain, sometimes increased by melting snow. A flood that rises rapidly, with little or no warning, is called
9500-571: The landscape that they are trying to protect. Modern examples can be found at Cronulla (NSW, 1985–6), Blackpool (1986–2001), Lincolnshire (1992–1997) and Wallasey (1983–1993). At Sandwich, Kent the Seabee seawall is buried at the back of the beach under the shingle with crest level at road kerb level. Sea walls typically cost £10,000 per metre (depending on material, height and width), £10,000,000 per km (depending on material, height and width). Revetments are slanted or upright blockades, built parallel to
9625-508: The leaders of the European Community , and were started due to then- French President Charles de Gaulle 's resentment at the domination of supranational institutions (notably the European Commission ) over the integration process, but petered out. The first influential summit held, after the departure of de Gaulle, was the Hague summit of 1969, which reached an agreement on the admittance of
9750-608: The livelihood of individuals. As a result, there is also significant socio-economic threats to vulnerable populations around the world from flooding. For example, in Bangladesh in 2007, a flood was responsible for the destruction of more than one million houses. And yearly in the United States, floods cause over $ 7 billion in damage. Flood waters typically inundate farm land, making the land unworkable and preventing crops from being planted or harvested, which can lead to shortages of food both for humans and farm animals. Entire harvests for
9875-417: The location of the flood. Damage to roads and transport infrastructure may make it difficult to mobilize aid to those affected or to provide emergency health treatment. Flooding can cause chronically wet houses, leading to the growth of indoor mold and resulting in adverse health effects, particularly respiratory symptoms. Respiratory diseases are a common after the disaster has occurred. This depends on
10000-462: The location. Following the growth of the EU to 25 member states, with the 2004 enlargement , all subsequent official summits of the European Council have been in Brussels, with the exception of punctuated ad hoc meetings, such as the 2017 informal European Council in Malta. The logistical, environmental, financial and security arrangements of hosting large summits are usually cited as the primary factors in
10125-436: The loss of power. This includes loss of drinking water treatment and water supply, which may result in loss of drinking water or severe water contamination. It may also cause the loss of sewage disposal facilities. Lack of clean water combined with human sewage in the flood waters raises the risk of waterborne diseases , which can include typhoid , giardia , cryptosporidium , cholera and many other diseases depending upon
10250-523: The meetings. While an MEP, Alexander Stubb argued that there was no need for the President of Finland to attend Council meetings with or instead of the Prime Minister of Finland (who was head of European foreign policy). In 2008, having become Finnish Foreign Minister , Stubb was forced out of the Finnish delegation to the emergency council meeting on the Georgian crisis because the President wanted to attend
10375-431: The member states of the eurozone. The President of the European Council is elected by its members through a qualified majority vote for a once-renewable term of two and a half years. Article 15 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) identifies his duties. It is the Heads of State or Government who vote for this office. The President must report to the European Parliament after each European Council meeting. The post
10500-419: The most common defences. However, groynes are increasingly viewed as detrimental to the aesthetics of the coastline and face opposition in many coastal communities. Groynes can be considered a "soft" solution because of the beach enhancement. Groyne construction creates a problem known as terminal groyne syndrome. The terminal groyne prevents longshore drift from bringing material to other nearby places. This
10625-481: The natural dynamism, although they require repeated applications. Maintenance costs can eventually require a strategy change. In some cases a seaward strategy can be adopted. Examples from erosion include: Koge Bay (Dk), Western Scheldt estuary (Nl), Chatelaillon (Fr) and Ebro delta (Sp). There is an obvious downside to this strategy. Coastal erosion is already widespread, and there are many coasts where exceptional high tides or storm surges result in encroachment on
10750-408: The need to address the changes. Growth management can be a challenge for local authorities who must provide the infrastructure required by new residents. Managed retreat is an alternative to constructing or maintaining coastal structures. Managed retreat allows an area to erode. Managed retreat is often a response to a change in sediment budget or to sea level rise . The technique is used when
10875-556: The night. Until 2002, the venue for European Council summits was the member state that held the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union . However, European leaders agreed during ratification of the Nice Treaty to forego this arrangement at such a time as the total membership of the European Union surpassed 18 member states. An advanced implementation of this agreement occurred in 2002, with certain states agreeing to waive their right to host meetings, favouring Brussels as
11000-563: The origin of maritime traffic, perhaps before 3500 B.C. Docks , breakwaters and other harbour works were built by hand, often in a grand scale. The Romans introduced many innovations in harbour design. They built walls underwater and constructed solid breakwaters . These structures were made using Roman concrete . Vitruvius described three methods for building port structures ( De Architectura , 5, 12). Other types of port structure such as rubble mounds and arched breakwaters built by means of timber floating caissons were used also. Romans were
11125-457: The period of time between observations. This intensity will be less than the actual peak intensity if the duration of the rainfall event was less than the fixed time interval for which measurements are reported. Convective precipitation events (thunderstorms) tend to produce shorter duration storm events than orographic precipitation. Duration, intensity, and frequency of rainfall events are important to flood prediction. Short duration precipitation
11250-541: The president of the European Council). The charts below outline the number of leaders affiliated to each alliance and their total voting weight. The map indicates the political group of the member representing each individual country. The European Council is required by Article 15.3 TEU to meet at least twice every six months, but convenes more frequently in practice. Despite efforts to contain business, meetings typically last for at least two days, and run long into
11375-468: The prime ministerial position. The European Council is an official institution of the EU, described in the Lisbon Treaty as a body which " shall provide the Union with the necessary impetus for its development ". Essentially it defines the EU's policy agenda and has thus been considered to be the motor of European integration . Beyond the need to provide "impetus", the council has developed further roles: to "settle issues outstanding from discussions at
11500-426: The protection impeded recreational uses. Erosion continued, but the structures remained, resulting in a loss of beach area. The obtrusiveness and cost of these structures led in the late 1940s and early 1950s, to a more dynamic approach. Projects attempted to replicate the protective characteristics of natural beach and dune systems. The resultant use of artificial beaches and stabilized dunes as an engineering approach
11625-486: The push of a button members can also call for advice from a Permanent Representative via the " Antici Group " in an adjacent room. The group is composed of diplomats and assistants who convey information and requests. Interpreters are also required for meetings as members are permitted to speak in their own languages . As the composition is not precisely defined, some states which have a considerable division of executive power can find it difficult to decide who should attend
11750-569: The result of sustained rainfall, rapid snow melt, monsoons , or tropical cyclones . However, large rivers may have rapid flooding events in areas with dry climates, since they may have large basins but small river channels, and rainfall can be very intense in smaller areas of those basins. In extremely flat areas, such as the Red River Valley of the North in Minnesota , North Dakota , and Manitoba ,
11875-501: The revitalization of sea trade and a renewed interest in port works. Prior to the 1950s, the general practice was to use hard structures to protect against beach erosion or storm damages. These structures included seawalls and revetments or sand-trapping structures such as groynes. During the 1920s and '30s, private or local community interests protected many coastal areas using these techniques on an ad hoc basis. In certain resort areas, structures proliferated to such an extent that
12000-480: The risks associated with large debris entrained by the flow motion. Floods can be a huge destructive power. When water flows, it has the ability to demolish all kinds of buildings and objects, such as bridges, structures, houses, trees, and cars. Economical, social and natural environmental damages are common factors that are impacted by flooding events and the impacts that flooding has on these areas can be catastrophic. There have been numerous flood incidents around
12125-454: The rivers provide easy travel and access to commerce and industry. Flooding can damage property and also lead to secondary impacts. These include in the short term an increased spread of waterborne diseases and vector-bourne disesases , for example those diseases transmitted by mosquitos. Flooding can also lead to long-term displacement of residents. Floods are an area of study of hydrology and hydraulic engineering . A large amount of
12250-408: The scheduled ordinary meetings by not ending with official Council conclusions , as they instead end by more broad political Statements on some cherry-picked policy matters. The extraordinary meetings always end with official Council conclusions but differ from the scheduled meetings by not being scheduled more than a year in advance, as for example in 2001 when the European Council gathered to lead
12375-709: The sea in at a particular place in a controlled fashion, or by pre-forming drainage channels for created salt-marsh. Managed retreat has become more of a necessary strategy due to climate change, as adaptation strategies can only do so much to stop sea level rise. Holding the line typically involves shoreline hardening techniques, e.g., using permanent concrete and rock constructions. These techniques-- seawalls , groynes , detached breakwaters , and revetments —represent more than 70% of protected shorelines in Europe. Alternatively, soft engineering techniques supporting natural processes and relying on natural elements such as dunes and vegetation can prevent erosive forces from reaching
12500-497: The shore areas. Extreme flood events often result from coincidence such as unusually intense, warm rainfall melting heavy snow pack, producing channel obstructions from floating ice, and releasing small impoundments like beaver dams. Coincident events may cause extensive flooding to be more frequent than anticipated from simplistic statistical prediction models considering only precipitation runoff flowing within unobstructed drainage channels. Debris modification of channel geometry
12625-472: The shore, impinging on human activity. If the sea rises, many coasts that are developed with infrastructure along or close to the shoreline will be unable to accommodate erosion. They will experience a so-called "coastal squeeze" whereby ecological or geomorphological zones that would normally retreat landwards encounter solid structures and can migrate no further. Wetlands, salt marshes, mangroves and adjacent fresh water wetlands are particularly vulnerable to such
12750-481: The shrub stage begins. Since the previously established plants have stabilized the dunes, during the shrub stage larger plants with bigger root systems are able to grow. This allows for further stabilization of sand dunes. These larger plants, along with wooden sand fences , footpaths, Dutch ladders and boardwalks help to catch windblown sand. Stabilizing sand dunes with plants is a common practice and can be implemented on private and public beaches. When implementing
12875-538: The smallest ephemeral streams in humid zones to normally-dry channels in arid climates to the world's largest rivers. When overland flow occurs on tilled fields, it can result in a muddy flood where sediments are picked up by run off and carried as suspended matter or bed load . Localized flooding may be caused or exacerbated by drainage obstructions such as landslides , ice , debris , or beaver dams. Slow-rising floods most commonly occur in large rivers with large catchment areas . The increase in flow may be
13000-426: The stabilization sand dunes on privately owned beaches with multiple owners, coming to a consensual agreement tends to be complicated. Some owners may prefer to leave the dunes bare, while others would rather plant more visually appealing plants. In comparison, when implementing dune stabilization on publicly owned beaches, there are less parties to confer with. Therefore, agreements about implementation can be reached in
13125-436: The structure absorbs a moderate amount of wave energy. Gabions need to be securely tied to protect the structure. Downsides include wear rates and visual intrusiveness. Concrete blocks and/or boulders are sunk offshore to alter wave direction and to filter wave and tide energy. The waves break further offshore and therefore lose erosive power. This leads to wider beaches, which further absorb wave energy. Dolos has replaced
13250-527: The supply of vegetation that can absorb rainfall. During times of rain, some of the water is retained in ponds or soil, some is absorbed by grass and vegetation, some evaporates, and the rest travels over the land as surface runoff . Floods occur when ponds, lakes, riverbeds, soil, and vegetation cannot absorb all the water. This has been exacerbated by human activities such as draining wetlands that naturally store large amounts of water and building paved surfaces that do not absorb any water. Water then runs off
13375-490: The supranational executive of the EU, in addition to its other powers, the European Council has been described by some as the Union's "supreme political authority". The European Council consists of the heads of state or government of the member states, alongside its own President and the Commission President (both non-voting). The meetings used to be regularly attended by the national foreign minister as well, and
13500-460: The suspension of membership rights, and changing the voting systems through the Passerelle Clause . Although the European Council has no direct legislative power, under the "emergency brake" procedure, a state outvoted in the Council of Ministers may refer contentious legislation to the European Council. However, the state may still be outvoted in the European Council. Hence with powers over
13625-440: The third most important factors for small and large watersheds, respectively. Time of Concentration is the time required for runoff from the most distant point of the upstream drainage area to reach the point of the drainage channel controlling flooding of the area of interest. The time of concentration defines the critical duration of peak rainfall for the area of interest. The critical duration of intense rainfall might be only
13750-669: The two Hollandic Water Lines , the Stelling van Amsterdam , the Frisian Water Line , the IJssel Line , the Peel-Raam Line , and the Grebbe line in that country. To count as controlled , a military inundation has to take the interests of the civilian population into account, by allowing them a timely evacuation , by making the inundation reversible , and by making an attempt to minimize
13875-407: The union with general political directions and priorities, and acts as a collective presidency. The European Commission remains the sole initiator of legislation , but the European Council provides a guide to legislative policy. The meetings of the European Council, still commonly referred to as EU summits , are chaired by its president and take place at least twice every six months; usually in
14000-411: The use of concrete blocks because it is more resistant to wave action and requires less concrete to produce a superior result. Similar concrete objects like Dolos are A-jack , Akmon , Xbloc , Tetrapod and Accropode . Cliff stabilization can be accomplished through drainage of excess rainwater of through terracing, planting and wiring to hold cliffs in place. Training walls are built to constrain
14125-441: The water cycle and sea level rise . For example, climate change makes extreme weather events more frequent and stronger. This leads to more intense floods and increased flood risk. Natural types of floods include river flooding, groundwater flooding coastal flooding and urban flooding sometimes known as flash flooding. Tidal flooding may include elements of both river and coastal flooding processes in estuary areas. There
14250-487: The water overtops or breaks levees , resulting in some of that water escaping its usual boundaries. Flooding may also occur due to an accumulation of rainwater on saturated ground. This is called an areal flood . The size of a lake or other body of water naturally varies with seasonal changes in precipitation and snow melt. Those changes in size are however not considered a flood unless they flood property or drown domestic animals . Floods can also occur in rivers when
14375-515: The waters in a flood are very deep and have strong currents . Deaths do not just occur from drowning, deaths are connected with dehydration , heat stroke , heart attack and any other illness that needs medical supplies that cannot be delivered. Injuries can lead to an excessive amount of morbidity when a flood occurs. Injuries are not isolated to just those who were directly in the flood, rescue teams and even people delivering supplies can sustain an injury. Injuries can occur anytime during
14500-405: The wave energy has been dissipated. Most revetments do not significantly interfere with transport of longshore drift. Since the wall absorbs energy instead of reflecting, the surf progressively erodes and destroys the revetment; therefore, maintenance is ongoing, as determined by the structural material and product quality. Rock armour is large rocks placed at the sea edge using local material. This
14625-450: The world which have caused devastating damage to infrastructure, the natural environment and human life. Floods can have devastating impacts to human societies. Flooding events worldwide are increasing in frequency and severity, leading to increasing costs to societies. Catastrophic riverine flooding can result from major infrastructure failures, often the collapse of a dam . It can also be caused by drainage channel modification from
14750-557: The world's population lives in close proximity to major coastlines , while many major cities and agricultural areas are located near floodplains . There is significant risk for increased coastal and fluvial flooding due to changing climatic conditions. Floods can happen on flat or low-lying areas when water is supplied by rainfall or snowmelt more rapidly than it can either infiltrate or run off . The excess accumulates in place, sometimes to hazardous depths. Surface soil can become saturated, which effectively stops infiltration, where
14875-422: The year and kills pests in the farming land. Freshwater floods particularly play an important role in maintaining ecosystems in river corridors and are a key factor in maintaining floodplain biodiversity . Flooding can spread nutrients to lakes and rivers, which can lead to increased biomass and improved fisheries for a few years. European Council The European Council (informally EUCO )
15000-550: Was created by the Treaty of Lisbon and was subject to a debate over its exact role. Prior to Lisbon, the Presidency rotated in accordance with the Presidency of the Council of the European Union . The role of that President-in-Office was in no sense (other than protocol) equivalent to an office of a head of state , merely a primus inter pares (first among equals) role among other European heads of government. The President-in-Office
15125-682: Was due to difficulties in implementing the concept of "integrated management". The Group proposed that the Council of Europe , cooperate with the Coastal & Marine Union (EUCC) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Five generic strategies are involved in coastal defense: The choice of strategy is site-specific, depending on pattern of sea-level change, geomorphological setting, sediment availability and erosion, as well as social, economic and political factors. Alternatively, integrated coastal zone management approaches may be used to prevent development in erosion- or flood-prone areas, reducing
15250-512: Was economically viable and more environmentally friendly. Limited knowledge of coastal sediment transport processes often resulted in inappropriate measures of coastal erosion mitigation. In many cases, measures worked locally, but exacerbated problems at other locations -up to tens of kilometers away- or generated other environmental problems. The essential source on coastal engineering is the European Code of Conduct for Coastal Zones issued by
15375-765: Was heavy, a fast snowmelt can push water out of the banks of a tributary river so that it moves overland, to a point further downstream in the river or completely to another streambed. Overland flooding can be devastating because it is unpredictable, it can occur very suddenly with surprising speed, and in such flat land it can run for miles. It is these qualities that set it apart from simple "overland flow". Rapid flooding events, including flash floods , more often occur on smaller rivers, rivers with steep valleys, rivers that flow for much of their length over impermeable terrain, or normally-dry channels. The cause may be localized convective precipitation (intense thunderstorms ) or sudden release from an upstream impoundment created behind
15500-542: Was politically part of a European Council meeting was legally a meeting of the Council of Ministers . When the European Council, already introduced into the treaties by the Single European Act, became an institution by virtue of the Treaty of Lisbon, this was no longer necessary, and the "Council [of the European Union] meeting in the composition of the Heads of State or Government", was replaced in these instances by
15625-500: Was primarily responsible for preparing and chairing the Council meetings, and had no executive powers other than the task of representing the Union externally. Now the leader of the Council Presidency country can still act as president when the permanent president is absent. Almost all members of the European Council are members of a political party at the national level. Most of them are also members of political alliances at
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