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Riparian corridors are areas immediately adjacent to flowing waters. They are significant in ecological terms as a transitional zone between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Therefore, conservation of riparian corridors has been gaining significance in river basin management. In this regard, this study has investigated the riparian buffers that fringed the Riveria residential estate in the city of Kuching, Sarawak, examining its structures and health indices in response to the development gradient. The riparian health assessment presented here specifically considers its associated buffer widths, plus the exploration of three attributes, namely human activities, vegetation cover, and groundwater table. The results show that the most appropriate range of buffer width is between 40 and 100 m. Results also suggest that riparian buffer width is a key factor influencing riparian health and functionality. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose – Flood flushing is one natural cleansing capability of a natural river channel to wash away in-stream pollutants and debris. The purpose of this paper is to explore the flood flushing restriction in a tributary due to its regulated main river channel between two barrages. Design/methodology/approach – In the absence of detailed data, a concerted effort of computer river modelling is conceptualized to represent possible flushing conditions. Findings – Regulation schemes of barrages are deduced to interrupt the natural tidal and river flow interaction zones and thus impede river flushing capability. Practical implications – Modelling of barrages' operating modes suggested that though the man-made structures are unable to replicate natural flood flushing, proper operations offer a secondary option to achieving the desired water quality objective in a constrained tributary. Originality/value – Studies on minor tributary of modified main-stem river are few. The attended tributary-trunk relationships carry the credibility of this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a study of flooding scenarios with and without flood protection in the Sarawak river system using InfoWorks River Simulation (RS). The Wallingford Software model was used to design the levee system as a protection structure to avoid inundation of floodwater on the highly populated floodplains from the Batu Kawa to Satok stretch of Sarawak river. However, the levee system blocked one of the tributaries, Maong river, from draining into the main channel of Sarawak river. Maong river is an urban river that drains Kuching Central Business Region and the western region of the rapidly developing Batu Kawa's new township areas. The river is notoriously flood-prone. This paper discusses the hydrodynamic modeling efforts to protect the Maong river catchments. Modeling of levee in combination with ponding-pumping system was technically shown as a feasible infrastructure capable of reducing flooding in urban floodplain. The requirement data, preparations and details on modeling approach are presented. The results from the hydraulic model showed that the measures investigated were an effective solution for reducing floods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]