Smart flood control solutions from countries around the world

While countries are still struggling with flood control problems, many places in the world such as the Netherlands, England, or neighboring countries Malaysia and Singapore have come up with smart solutions to solve this situation.

Sunshine and rain are the work of heaven; for generations, people have known that rule to live with nature. However, when the weather goes beyond human limits with frequent floods and droughts, no country can ignore the difficult problem of flooding.

While many countries are still struggling with flood stories, and every rainy season the whole city cries out because of the water flooding, in some countries, hundreds of years of experience in flood control can make them leisurely watch the rain fall. The flood keeps rising, the water keeps flowing, but where is the flood, there are dikes and reservoirs to take care of it!

So how is the flood story going in different countries?

Every year and every season, people in many countries worry about flooding.

Malaysia: "2 in 1" tunnel

The capital Kuala Lumpur is close to the confluence of two major rivers in Malaysia, so every year, the people of this most modern city in Southeast Asia have to complain about flooding.

However, one of the unique smart solutions that has been implemented in this city is to build a "2 in 1" tunnel, which is used both for flood drainage and traffic.

During normal weather conditions, the tunnel will function as a regular road tunnel for vehicles to pass through. However, when the river overflows its banks, it will be converted into a flood channel directly below the roads, helping to keep the roads above from being flooded.

Entrance to a special tunnel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

At a cost of half a billion dollars, the 9.7km SMART tunnel in Kuala Lumpur has become the world's first combined road and flood tunnel. In fact, the construction of this tunnel was a huge challenge due to the complex terrain of Kuala Lumpur. To date, SMART is still the longest tunnel in Southeast Asia and the second longest in Asia.

Since its inauguration, the tunnel has proven its effectiveness as severe flooding has no longer occurred to the people of the capital Kuala Lumpur as before.

When the weather turns bad with erratic rain and storms, this tunnel will turn into a flood protection structure for the city.

Netherlands: Building sea walls

When it comes to flood control, the Netherlands is known as the "flood control wizard". It is no exaggeration to say that this country, which lies below sea level, has not had to endure floods or saltwater intrusion from the Atlantic Ocean for decades.

While other countries only occasionally have to deal with flooding from heavy rains or river floods, the Netherlands also has to worry about the sea level rising too far inland. To effectively combat flooding, the country has implemented the "Delta Work" plan - a system of protective dykes to protect the Netherlands from rising sea levels. This is one of the largest flood control systems in the world when it was implemented from 1954 until 1991.

The solid sea dike system is the pride of the Dutch people.

In the Netherlands, there are about seven types of dikes, specialized dykes for seas, rivers, lakes, canals, or emergency dikes, storm-proof dikes... built appropriately depending on the usage.

The Delta Works sea dikes effectively protect the southwestern Netherlands and control the amount of water in the area. Many estuaries can be opened and closed to prevent excessive sea level rise during storms.

Inland, the Netherlands also dug many canals, small rivers, and flood-prevention reservoirs, built windmills, and installed pumps to ensure that rainwater and river water were properly regulated. "Water discharge areas" were also established, in case the river water rose, water would be discharged to ensure the safety of the city.

Amsterdam's canal system seen from above.

Japan: Underground flood control works

While in many countries people choose to raise the ground to prevent flooding, in Japan, the optimal solution is to push water underground.

Like many other capitals, Tokyo has the advantage of being near a river, which is convenient for trade and a source of water for the people. However, after the winter snow melts, then the amount of rain comes, the fear of flooding makes the city's residents fed up.

However, in 1993, the Japanese government decided to build an underground drainage channel on the outskirts of the city, also known as Project G. The project took 13 years to complete at a cost of 3 billion USD. This project is also known by its name: the underground Pantheon.

The underground columns have led people to call this building the underground Pantheon.

This great project consists of 5 pillars 75m high, 32m wide, connected by a 6.3km long, 10m diameter pipeline, located 50m underground. This pipeline will lead to a giant water tank 25m high, 177m long, 78m wide – larger than a football field. Just hearing the size, people are stunned by the scale of this project.

Whenever it rains heavily, water is directed from the pillars to a giant reservoir. The water is then pumped out into the Endo River using high-powered pumps to prevent flooding throughout the city. Thanks to the underground Pantheon system, Tokyo and its surrounding areas have been spared from severe flooding over the years.

The pipeline allows rainwater to drain into a giant cistern and then into the Endo River.

Singapore: Large-scale water reservoir system

For countries like Singapore, flood prevention sometimes causes headaches as the country must ensure that flooding does not occur, while also ensuring that precious fresh water resources sufficient for the needs of more than 6 million people of the lion island nation are not wasted.

Therefore, instead of using complicated measures, Singapore has implemented the construction of water reservoirs across the country to both prevent flooding and provide fresh water for the people. It sounds simple, but 17 water reservoirs in Singapore are proving to be effective in preventing floods.

The most notable of the flood control projects in Singapore is the Marina Reservoir and Dam. The Marina Reservoir project has a total cost of up to 135 million USD and is the largest reservoir in Singapore. With a system of dykes, it not only helps prevent seawater from entering, acting as a reservoir when flooding occurs, but also helps store seawater for the entire city.

Marina Reservoir and Barrage is an important flood control project of Singapore.

According to Young Knowledge