Building in the riparian areas can have serious consequences these include:
- Increase in overall flooded area: Buildings and other structures in the riparian land displace flood waters, pushing overflow further out into the watershed and affecting lands and buildings that would not be at risk otherwise.
- Greater financial losses through property damage when flooding occurs.
- Increase in risks to human safety: Deaths and injuries from drowning, being trapped in vulnerable structures, or being struck by flood debris all increase once riparian lands are developed.
- Riparian areas, which are also a key component of wetlands, are considered unsafe for construction due to the underground water systems that may weaken the foundations making the buildings potentially dangero
Importance of riparian lands
- Wetlands are important as they provide ecological services including sieving up aquatic pollutants, acting as biodiversity habitat, recharging underground water systems and help mitigating floods by regulating storm-water flow over time and increase water retention.
- The areas also aid in climate change adaptation as they support flora and fauna, recharge aquifers during the dry season, help in nutrient retention and shoreline stabilization (NEMA 2018).
- Recreation
Waterways are important sites for recreation such as walking, swimming, fishing and promoting tourism.
Mercy Wangui
For Nema Licence Call
0715827209
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