Hard engineering involves the use of heavy machinery to build artificial structures which work against nature to reduce flood risk.

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Economic benefits of constructing dams and reservoirs include:

• boosting tourism e.g. the local economy of Kielder has been boosted by £6 million thanks to the construction of Kielder Dam
• they can be used to produce electricity by passing the water through a turbine within the dam

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Social costs of constructing dams and reservoirs include:

• the displacement of people due to flooding
• the loss of cultural heritage
• the resettlement of large numbers of people
• the health and well-being of affected populations both upstream and downstream

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Social:

• Safer from flooding due to the increased carrying capacity of the river so the risk of flooding to nearby settlements is reduced.
• Embankments are often used for walking routes which makes the embankment a more attractive walkway for local people.

Economic:

• Cheap compared to other methods of hard engineering

Environmental:

• Habitats are provided for riverbank animals such as otters, voles and kingfishers

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Examples of hard engineering include:

• Dams and reservoirs
• Channel straightening
• Embankments
• Flood-relief channels

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