Scientists find shocking changes in global river flooding

CNN highlighted a study by an environmental engineer at the University of Cincinnati who tracked changes in river flows in waterways around the world.

UC College of Engineering and Applied Science Assistant Professor Dongmei Feng and her research partner, Colin Gleason at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, mapped the flow of water in nearly 3 million rivers, creeks and streams for the past 35 years and discovered more water flowing in upstream headwaters and decreasing flows downstream where more people live.

The study published in the journal Science identified an increase in catastrophic floods known as 100-year floods in upstream waters over the last 35 years.

Researchers found significant declines in water flow in 44% of downstream sections of rivers and significant increases in 17% of upstream sections.

These changes can have profound effects on navigability, pollution, portability and even hydroelectric power. More sedimentation can cut off water flow to dams and damage turbines.

“We found that the rivers around the world are changing,” said Feng, the study’s lead author, who teaches environmental engineering at UC.

Read the CNN story.