Three ways humans can increase the risk of flooding in urban areas are:

• Building new infrastructure e.g. roads and paths
• Building new houses
• Disappearing gardens

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Building a new housing estate on the floodplain increases the risk of flooding because the surface becomes impermeable due to the construction of houses, tarmac roads and concrete pavements. Surface run-off increases leading to a rapid increase in a river’s discharge.

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Three ways humans can increase the risk of flooding in rural areas are:

• Deforestation
• Intensive farming, leaving fields bare in the winter
• Overgrazing
• Increased use of polytunnels

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Geology can increase the risk of flooding when:

• The upland bedrock is impermeable, such as slate, which means there is more surface run-off
• Soil in low lying areas is made up of clay. Because it is so compact it is difficult for infiltration to occur.
• Areas of permeable rock, such as limestone, become inundated with water leading to increased surface run-off

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A change from pastoral to arable farming increases the risk of flooding because once crops have been harvested the soil is sometimes left bare in the winter. This reduces interception because there is no vegetation.

Find out more about human and physical causes of flooding.