Laying the Foundations : Essential Elements for Assuring the Safety of Dams and Downstream Communities
Assuring the safety of dams is central to protecting downstream communities, infrastructure, and the environment. Dam safety is also important for securing water for productive purposes and sustaining economic development. With a global portfolio o...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Policy Note |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2021
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/148971626429902055/Laying-the-Foundations-Essential-Elements-for-Assuring-the-Safety-of-Dams-and-Downstream-Communities-Policy-Note http://hdl.handle.net/10986/35999 |
| Summary: | Assuring the safety of dams is central
to protecting downstream communities, infrastructure, and
the environment. Dam safety is also important for securing
water for productive purposes and sustaining economic
development. With a global portfolio of more than 58,000
large dams, issues associated with the safety of dams and
downstream communities are becoming increasingly important,
particularly given aging infrastructure, increasing
downstream populations, shifting demographics, and changes
in climate and weather patterns. The foundation for
effective dam safety assurance is an appropriate and
well-designed regulatory framework that captures the legal,
institutional, technical, and financial elements in the
reality of a particular jurisdiction. Establishing and
maintaining a regulatory framework that is fit for purpose
is, therefore, necessary for ensuring the quality of dam
design, construction, and operation and maintenance. The
framework also ensures that safety measures are reflective
of the risks inherent in managing these structures and the
context in which they are developed. Such frameworks need to
be developed as part of a holistic strategy for water
management that is integrated in basin and regional planning
processes. The objective of this policy note is to provide
guidance to policy makers and practitioners on the essential
elements for establishing regulatory regimes for assuring
the safety of dams and downstream communities. |
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