Although it is a natural disaster, are there benefits to floods?

Floods are one of the most common types of natural disasters, and their consequences are often devastating.

A flood occurs when water overflows, inundating the normally dry land.

We cannot deny the virtue of floods on nature, although they cause devastating losses, but they have a positive side that is repeatedly reflected in nature, and humans benefit from it as well.

Monsoon floods are important to rural areas around the world as many communities such as Peruvian and Colombian ones depend on them. This is because floods facilitate transportation and migration of fish, and make the soil fertile.

Seasonal floods have many positive effects, including:

Increasing the fertility of the land

When the rains recede, they leave behind fine sand, mud, and organic matter. Therefore, the flood plains are among the most fertile agricultural areas

Perhaps one of the most well-known benefits of flooding is that it makes the land fertile. The ancient Egyptians knew this fact and exploited it in the agricultural process. As they were cultivating along the Nile River, they even called the floods of the Nile River the name "The Gift of the Nile."

In addition, the waterlogged soil environment allows the cultivation of many crops such as rice. Asian societies traditionally grow rice in paddy fields, which is the staple diet for about half of the world's population.

Floods add nutrients to the sea

Floods support aquatic food webs; Small seasonal floods add nutrients to the sea, which small organisms like plankton feed on.

Removing materials that obstruct the flow of dams and rivers

The force of flowing floodwaters can also dislodge materials that block rivers and estuaries. Debris such as branches, tree trunks, and rocks often impede water movement in rivers. Sometimes, it can completely block the flow of water; Which leads to drought downstream.

Groundwater recharge

In fact, the excess water from the floods is recharging the groundwater supply. When the earth is permeable, it infiltrates the earth through aquifers (soft rocks and sediments.

Groundwater that can flow into rivers, or turn into natural springs when flowing to the surface of the earth.

Maintaining the chemical balance of the Earth

Floods greatly help balance the health of wetlands by maintaining chemical balance, restoring breeding grounds and increasing biodiversity stocks.