100 Places To Remember: The Thames London, Britain
Geschreven op 1-5-2010 - Erik van Erne. Geplaatst in Natuur
An Artery of Life and a Constant Threat. It has always been the river of commerce The city itself owes its character and appearance to the Thames.
(Peter Ackroyd in London, The Biography)
It was the Romans, under Emperor Claudius, who founded the first settlement on the northern bank of the Thames in 43 AD and called it Londinium. The location was chosen because of its position by the river and proximity to the sea. Ever since then, the Thames has been the main artery of life for the city that was to become the worlds first metropolis and centre of commerce and finance.
However, the river also presents London with its biggest threat. From the early Middle Ages until the present, the city has been expanding into the river, building out from its banks and narrowing the tidal course.
Embankments have been built along the Thames to protect London from flooding, but they have not always been sufficient. The city has only had adequate defences against extreme weather conditions since the Thames Barrier was built in 1983. By 2025, even the Thames Barrier might not be enough to protect London from flooding.
If climate change continues, the combination of high tides, mid-latitude cyclones and rising sea levels could overwhelm the barrier, with devastating results. Huge parts of London would be flooded, including parts of the underground rail network, train stations, hospitals, thousands of homes and historic areas including the Houses of Parliament and the Tower of London.
A flood would have a direct effect on 340,000 properties and the 1.25 million people who live in the low-lying London area. If the Thames Barrier is breached just once, the blow to the UK economy will be an estimated £30 billion.
Linda Randall zegt:
2 mei 2010 om 00:07 | Permalink
thanks 4 visiting my site.. love yours too.. i write my novels about england. i want to visit there someday i have relatives in portsmouth that i’ve never met. my ancestors are from england.