PO9 - Take adequate and co-ordinated measures to reduce flood risks

Riverbanks hold a key position in the functionality of floodplains as they constitute the gradual transition between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. However, due to technical constructions, the majority of riverbanks in temperate regions are far from their ecological potential.

An oxbow lake is an ancient meander that was cut off from the river, thus creating a small lake with a U form. Reconnecting it with the river consists in removing terrestrial lands between both water bodies, therefore favouring the overall functioning of the river by restoring lateral connectivity, diversifying flows and cleaning the river section of the present oxbow for a better water retention during floods. 

Recent literature...

According to the Convention on Wetlands (1971), a wetland is an area of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres. 

Wetlands play a crucial role in regulating the global climate and are natural biofilters for pollutant removal, nutrient...

Green cover, cover crops or catch crops refers to crops planted in late summer or autumn, usually on arable land, to protect the soil, which would otherwise lie bare during the winter, against wind and water erosion.  Green cover crops also improve the structure of the soil, diversify the cropping system, and mitigate the loss of soluble nutrients. Green cover crops are good...

Basins are areas for storage of surface runoff that are free from water under dry weather flow conditions. Basins are bodies of water designed to store surface runoff. They play a critical role in stormwater management by reducing flood risk and improving water quality. The performance of basins is highly site-dependent and often requires upstream source control to function effectively. There are three main types of basins: retention,...

Intercropping is the practice of growing two or more crops’ species simultaneously in the same field. The most common goal of intercropping is to produce a greater yield on a given piece of land by making use of resources that would otherwise not be utilised by a single crop. Examples of intercropping strategies are planting a deep-rooted crop with a shallow-rooted crop, or planting a tall crop with a shorter crop that requires partial shade...

Traditional terraces consist of nearly level platforms built along contour lines of slopes, mostly sustained by stone walls, used for farming on hilly terrain. By reducing the effective slope of land, terracing can reduce erosion and surface run-off by slowing rainwater to a non-erosive velocity. This also increases the degree if...

Controlled traffic farming (CTF) is an agricultural system which confines all machinery loads to the least possible area of permanent traffic lanes. Current farming systems allow machines  to randomly traverses the field, compacting around 75% of the area within one season and at least the whole area by the second season. Soils don’t recover quickly, taking as much as a few years. A proper CTF system on the other hand can reduce...

Buffer strips and hedges are natural or semi-natural vegetated features integrated into agricultural and semi-urban landscapes to enhance ecological and hydrological functions.

Buffer strips are areas of natural vegetation cover (grass, bushes or trees) at the margin of fields, arable land, transport infrastructures and water courses. They can feature various combinations of vegetation, from simple grass to mixtures of grass, trees,...

More than 30% of agricultural areas in the EU – some 50 million hectares – is covered by permanent grasslands. Meadows are areas or fields whose main vegetation is grass, or other non-woody plants, used for mowing and haying.  Pastures are grassed or wooded areas, moorland or heathland, generally used for grazing. Due to their rooted soils and their permanent cover, meadows and pastures create ideal conditions for water uptake and...