Coastal Areas
Coastal areas are constantly threatened by storm surges and sea – level rise, so the demand for flood barriers is extremely urgent. These areas require flood barriers to have high strength and excellent seawater corrosion resistance to resist the powerful impact of ocean waves and the long – term erosion of seawater. Meanwhile, in the face of complex and changeable marine meteorological conditions, intelligent flood barrier systems are highly favored. Such systems can monitor marine environmental data in real – time, issue early warnings, and automatically respond to ensure the safety of coastal areas.
Take the Netherlands as an example. As a country with a low – lying terrain and most of its territory below sea level, it has long attached great importance to flood control project construction. The Delta Works in the Netherlands has constructed a vast flood barrier system, effectively withstanding the storm surges in the North Sea and protecting a large number of coastal towns and farmlands. In Asia, Japan is a country prone to typhoons and tsunamis. Coastal cities such as Tokyo and Osaka have extremely high requirements for the technology and performance of flood barriers, and continuously invest in upgrading flood barrier facilities to fully guarantee urban safety.
Inland River Basins
Floods in inland river basins are mostly caused by heavy rainfall and snowmelt, and they come fiercely. Therefore, flood barriers in these areas are required to have high flood – discharge capacity and rapid response ability. Moreover, due to the relatively sensitive ecological environment of rivers, the design and construction of flood barriers need to take ecological protection into account and minimize the impact on the river ecosystem. For example, eco – friendly materials and designs are adopted to ensure that ecological functions such as fish migration are not hindered.
The Mississippi River Basin in the United States faces varying degrees of flood threats every year. Many cities and agricultural areas within the basin rely on flood barriers for protection. Local flood barriers not only need to have strong flood – control capabilities but also need to be integrated with water resource management and ecological protection in the basin. In China, the Yangtze River Basin and the Yellow River Basin are key flood – control areas. For example, cities in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, such as Wuhan and Nanjing, rely on flood barriers to control flood water levels during the flood season to ensure urban safety. At the same time, they are constantly exploring the construction of ecological flood barriers to maintain the ecological balance of the Yangtze River.
Economically Developed Areas
Economically developed areas have a high level of urbanization, dense population, and concentrated assets, and thus have stricter requirements for flood control safety. These areas have sufficient funds and are more inclined to purchase high – end, highly intelligent flood barrier products, pursuing product stability, reliability, and harmony with the urban landscape. Meanwhile, they attach importance to the full – life – cycle management of flood barriers, covering installation and commissioning, maintenance, and upgrading to ensure long – term flood – control effects.
In developed countries in Europe, such as Germany and France, the flood barriers in cities not only have advanced flood – control functions but also integrate urban landscape elements into their appearance design, achieving the unity of functionality and aesthetics. In North America, cities like New York and Los Angeles attach great importance to the intelligent construction of flood barriers. By connecting with the urban intelligent management system, they can remotely monitor and precisely regulate flood barriers, improving the comprehensive flood – response capabilities of cities.
Economically Underdeveloped Areas
Economically underdeveloped areas also face flood threats. However, due to limited funds, their demand for flood barriers focuses more on cost – effectiveness. They hope to purchase flood barrier products with relatively low prices, reliable quality, and easy installation and maintenance. In terms of technology selection, they tend to choose mature and simple technologies to reduce usage and maintenance costs.
In some developing countries in Africa and Southeast Asia, such as Ethiopia and Cambodia, local governments are striving to promote flood – control project construction with limited financial budgets. They prioritize the selection of flood barrier products with moderate prices and mature technologies. At the same time, they actively seek international assistance and cooperation to enhance their national flood – control capabilities. For example, some international organizations provide technical support and partial funds to help these areas build suitable flood barrier facilities.
