Case Study -Bareges, France - 2013
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Objective: To build up an understanding of the causes and effects of a severe flash flood event in the French town of Barèges in June 2013. 

Approach 1 (IST students) - Please use the case study booklet hyperlinked above to complete the activities set out. The resources can be found on this page. 

The Google Map with videos embedded can be accessed by clicking on the tab below. 


The Interactive YouTube Study -  For non IST students. 

Approach 2 - Use the 14 min 39 video below, stopping and starting when prompted and taking notes.

Putting together the case study.
You are now in a position to start putting together your work into a coherent and iGCSE quality case study. You should use the information that you have gathered so far today as well as the links below to build your study using the following guidelines:

1. Location of the town of Barèges. Include site, situation and a good quality sketch map. 

2. Modern day functions and value of the town. Include images where appropriate. 

3. Pre-conditions including snow cover and cold conditions (storage) into the summer season as well as relief and vegetation cover (linking to runoff and interception rates)

4. The perfect storm - snow melt & heavy rainfall and specify dates. Link in to pre-conditions above. 

5. The flash flood - effects on the town, the infrastructure and the economy. 

6. Made worse by humans? - outline the issues caused by human activity in the region and their contributions to the flood event in Barèges.

7. The update - Four months later (YouTube video). Re-building, demolishing and priorities. 

You may use the images below. They were taken by Mr Podbury and are copyright free. 

Exam Practice

Using a familiar case study, outline the causes and effects of a flood event that you have studied.                                (7)

Using suitable case study material, explain the immediate dangers posed by flash flood events?                                   (5)

Outline the ways in which human activity has exacerbated (made worse) the effects of flooding in a location that you have studied.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     (7)

How does relief and vegetation cover affect the speed in which rainwater reaches the river channel (in the hydrological cycle)?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        (4)

Comparison Case Study - Boscastle, UK
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Objective: To build up a case study of a flash flood using the Boscastle event in 2004. 

Starter: Click on the Google Streetview to the right hand side. 
i. What do you think the function of this village is?
ii. You are looking at the River Valency. Look in front and behind you. Take a screenshot and annotate with the following:

i. Shape of the surrounding land
ii. Shape of the river channel
iii. Gradient of river
iv. Height of banks
v. Proximity of housing
vi. Other human activity

Task 1 - Go to the Google Map to the right. Zoom in to where the B3263 crosses the River Valency. 
i. Just before the bridge, what do you notice? 
ii. How could this affect the potential flood risk in the area?

Task 2 - Now click here to see Boscastle during the flood.  Can you identify where this picture was taken in comparison to the Google Streetview start point above and the Google map? 

i. Make a copy of the flash flood image and annotate with effects of the flooding on the environment and the people.

ii. Use the Google Streetview again to take a screenshot from about the same place as the flood photo. What repairs have been made to the area? Has it totally recovered since 2004?

iii. Watch part of the YouTube video to the right hand side. Note down some of the effects of the floodwater on the town of Boscastle and its inhabitants. 
The Case Study

You will need a copy of the PDF worksheet above and pages 18-19 of the OCR B textbook. 

Build up a 5 W's case study of this flash flood event 

Where? - Location maps needed. Name the rivers affected.

What? - Describe the event. Before & after. Amount of water.

When?- Dates & times and diary of key events. 

Why? - Causes of the floods both physical and human (check out the fact file on page 18)

Who? - Who was affected? Cost? Rescue missions. 
Boscastle is located in the county of Cornwall which is situated in the SW of the UK. Boscastle is a small village that only had 888 residents in 2001. A flash flood occurred on the Valency River in Boscastle on the 16th August 2004. The flood was extremely severe and was a 1 in 400 year event. Despite the devastating nature of the flood there was amazingly no deaths or serious injuries. This was largely due to the rescue efforts of 7 helicopters who airlifted 150 people to safety.

However, about 100 cars, 5 caravans, 6 buildings and several boats were washed into the sea; approximately 100 homes and businesses were destroyed; trees were uprooted and debris was scattered over a large area.


​Responses to the Boscastle Floods

When the flood waters receded, thousands of tons of mud and debris were left scattered over the lower part of the village. The effect on the local economy was devastating. As you saw in your first activity, the area relies on tourism for its income (90%+), most of which is earned in the summer months. 

Study the Boscastle Flood Defence Scheme on page 21 of the OCR B textbook or the diagram from geogonline.org.uk below.  Open this link in a new tab.

Task 1 - Create an annotated Google Map showing the schemes that have been undertaken to reduce the impact of another flood using fig 1.30. 

Task 2 - Use Google Streetview to 'inspect' the area for yourself. Can you see evidence of change? Take three screenshots to show these changes in Boscastle. 
Picture
Source: http://www.geogonline.org.uk/
Task 3 - Explain fully how any three parts of the flood defence scheme might reduce the further risk of flooding in the future. 

Task 4 - Do you think it was worth spending £4.6 million (€6 million) on a flood defence scheme for a settlement of this size? Explain your arguments. 


Managing The Flood Risk 
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Objective: To find out how human activity can make flooding worse and how these risks can be minimised.

Flooding becomes a problem if there are people involved. 

Flooded floodplain + No People = No Problem

There are two main reasons that flooding has increased: 

1. The concreting and tarmacing of urban areas. 
2.  Increasing building development on the flood plain i.e. houses and light industry.

Starter: Explore the Google Street View to the right hand side. It is a residential area in London, UK. You will see that the vast majority of front gardens have been concreted over. Why has this happened?

Task 1: Take a screen shot of some houses that have completely concreted over their front gardens. Give it a title (reason 1 above) and use page 16 of the OCR B textbook (The increasing amount of hard surfaces in urban areas) to annotate the impacts that this has on runoff. and potential flooding. 

Task 2: Read over the text entitled 'Building on Flood Plains' on page 16 of the OCR B textbook. Then watch the YouTube video to the right hand side. 

i. Outline the flooding effects (what happens due to the floods) on the people and environment in the video
ii. What have the residents got to do to repair their houses?
iii. What do the Environment Agency want to see?
iv. What do the residents believe contributed to the Tewkesbury floods?

Task 3 - Read this article from The Guardian and summarise how this couple minimise the risk of flooding. 
Picture
Flooding in Llandudno, North Wales. 1993
Building Control on the Floodplain 

A number of governments all around Europe have put in place 'Floodplain Management Strategies' to try to reduce the impact of future flood events. 

Task 1 - If you are going to build on the floodplain, flood proof your house. Click here to watch a video about the Amphibious House that is planned on the River Thames floodplain. 

Make a sketch of the key features of the design. To what extent could this scheme be introduced across floodplains in vulnerable areas?

The projects that you have seen above are expensive and not affordable for the majority of people in LEDC's. Watch the embedded video below, then click here to information from Practical Action on their flood proofing techniques in Bangladesh. 

Task 2 - Make notes on the practical ways that flood proofing a house can happen in Bangladesh. Include annotated sketches too. 
Picture
Outside geographypods' house, major flash flood event in Conwy 1993
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