IdentityCrisisNeko t1_iwkwrhc wrote on November 16, 2022 at 11:57 AM

Reply to comment by ian2121 in Study indicates flood events at dams will significantly increase over next 80 years due to out of date rainfall modelling and climate change. by unswsydney

I mean it’s less about storage and slowing the flow of water. Floods have gotten worse in our modern day in part due to climate change, but also the MASSIVE amount of impervious surfaces that move water far too quickly, backing up systems, and causing floods. Wetlands may not have great storage but they do a far better job at slowing water down than agricultural fields

willowtr332020 t1_iwlddfq wrote on November 16, 2022 at 2:29 PM

The flooding referenced in the article (that of dams and their ability to pass flow) is not affected by wetlands.

Yes, impervious surfaces have increased but on a large scale, that's only really affecting cities with their storm water runoff. Flooding on the large scale we are seeing in Australia is not really exacerbated by the surface impermeability. River erosion and river roughness reduction due to vegetation clearing has had some impact, but the big change is the climate.