Dam safety : Guidelines

Several dam incidents with severe consequences during recent years had given rise to general concern about the safety of dams, and indicated the necessity for a formal safety approach.

The height of new dams and the volume of new reservoirs is increasing, while many older dams are approaching an age at which material deterioration and decreasing operational reliability may dictate some repair and upgrading.

An ever increasing number of dams is being built in countries with little or no tradition and experience in dam engineering. The formalization of safety considerations and the issuance of summarized safety requirement would be part of the necessary transfer of technological know-how to these countries.