How does urbanization typically affect the risk of flooding in an area?

Urbanization typically increases the risk of flooding in an area due to several factors associated with the changes in land use and environmental management that accompany urban development.

As cities expand, natural landscapes such as forests and wetlands, which can absorb rainfall and mitigate flood risks, are often replaced with impervious surfaces like roads, parking lots, and buildings. These surfaces prevent water from being absorbed into the ground, leading to increased surface runoff during storms. Consequently, the volume and speed of water flow into drainage systems and water bodies increase, elevating the likelihood and severity of flooding.

Additionally, urban areas tend to have less effective drainage systems compared to natural environments. When rain falls on these impervious surfaces, the rapid accumulation of water can overwhelm stormwater drainage systems, causing them to back up and contribute to localized flooding.

Furthermore, with urbanization often comes increased soil compaction, which further reduces the land's ability to absorb water. The combination of these factors results in an increased risk of flooding in urban areas compared to their rural counterparts where natural absorption processes are more intact. This understanding highlights the important connection between land use changes inherent in urbanization and the hydrological impacts that contribute to flooding events.