Is there anyway to protect the land and people from the effects of floods?

To protect people from the effects of floods, ensure that people do not build homes, factories, cities or towns in flood plains. Since that is not usually practical, the best way to protect both people and the land form floods is to control the waterways so that they do not flood. The US was deeply in vested in such controls during the 20th century, and it was found that flood controls sometimes have unintended negative effects, such as the destruction of salmon spawing grounds, erosion and loss of river deltas, and the silting up of stretches of rivers.