Author(s)

S. Stefanidis, F. Tziaftani & C. Chatzicristaki

Abstract

Streams and rivers, whether large or small, cross the majority of our country’s urban centers. These streams should be an inseparable part of urban planning in modern cities. The town of Thessaloniki is subjected to torrents that stem from the surrounding hills and, after crossing the urban areas of Thessaloniki, outfall in the Thermaikos gulf. These torrents belong in the category of streams of hilly areas, so the environmental potential is mild. Intense floods appearing in Thessaloniki’s conurbation happen mostly due to human activity. The purpose of this paper is the research of the natural factors that form the torrential potential of the research area (climate, relief, vegetation, geological support) and the man-made activities at the stream beds. Τhe present study shows that moderate-sized precipitation received by the region in conjunction with mild relief would prevent the appearance of intense flooding in the region. However, the small percentage of forest vegetation at the watersheds and the fragile geological support increase flooding. Apart from natural factors of the torrentiality, an important role in the statement of flood phenomena is man-made interventions inside the stream beds. Keywords: torrential environment, man-made activities, flooding hazard, stream bed. 1 Introduction The method and the process of movement of runoff water in the watershed depend on natural and anthropogenic factors. Regarding the natural factors, these

Keywords

torrential environment, man-made activities, flooding hazard, streambed