Environmental impact of flooding

Studies and reports into the consequences of flooding events are usually focused on damage to buildings, infrastructure, economic losses and casualties yet ignore the risk of environmental damage. In this project, a model study was made to assess the environmental consequences of the release of pollutants during the flooding of a polder district in the Netherlands following a river dike breach. A conceptual framework was established for the sequence of events or chain reaction? during a flood: a dike breach is formed, the scour of the flood waters and/or high water levels damage or destroy objects like homes, industrial complexes and farms; damaged objects release hazardous substances that will be dispersed in the flood waters and the released material will affect people and ecosystems in the inundated area. The analyses were made in the 50.000 ha. Case study area ?Krimpen?, located in the westen Netherlands near the cities Rotterdam, Delft, The Hague.