The Urgent Need to Address Aging Dams and Prevent Future Disasters
The recent collapse of two dams in Libya, resulting in the loss of thousands of lives and leaving thousands more missing, underscores the urgent need to address aging and obsolete dam structures around the world. These disasters were not only predictable but also preventable. If we fail to take action, we can expect more catastrophic dam failures in the future.
The Wadi Derna dams in Libya, built in the 1970s during a period of intensive global dam construction, are just one example of aging dams that have reached the end of their lifespan. Many other dams built during this era are also nearing obsolescence.
While the exact details are still emerging, it appears that the collapse of the Libya dams was due to poor maintenance and inadequate monitoring of the reservoirs, which were overwhelmed by heavy rainfall. Disturbingly, warnings about the deteriorating state of these dams and the need for repairs were issued last year, but no action was taken.
Similar disasters are waiting to happen in other parts of the world. India and China, in particular, are at great risk due to the large number of dams built in the mid-20th century that are now nearing obsolescence. The Mullaperiyar Dam in Kerala, India, for example, is over 100 years old, visibly damaged, and located in an earthquake-prone region. Its collapse would have devastating consequences for the millions of people living downstream.
The United States, as the second most prolific dam builder after China, also faces significant risks. The average age of dams in the US is 65 years old, and approximately 2,200 structures are at high risk of collapse. While recent infrastructure laws have allocated funds for the maintenance of some of these dams, there are still thousands that the federal government is not responsible for, and fixing them is estimated to cost $76 billion.
The risks posed by aging dams are particularly concerning in the context of climate change. Dams were designed to withstand extreme conditions based on historical data at the time of their construction. However, with climate change, once-in-a-century weather events are occurring more frequently, putting dams at greater risk of failure or structural weakening.
Before the Libya disaster, climate change-induced extreme weather had already begun to take a toll on aging dams. The Oroville Dam in California, for example, experienced heavy rainfall damage in 2017, leading to mass evacuations. Similarly, a Himalayan glacier destroyed one dam and damaged another in northern India earlier this year, resulting in multiple fatalities. The rapid melting of glaciers due to warming is now a major hazard for dams and the communities downstream.
Traditionally, the approach has been to repair aging dams, monitor reservoir levels, and try to anticipate increased flows from upstream. However, this reactive approach is costly and often only serves as a temporary solution. A prime example is the Kariba Dam in southern Africa, which is undergoing extensive repairs to prevent its collapse after significant weakening was discovered in the riverbed below it. These repairs, costing $300 million, are necessary just to keep the dam from falling apart entirely. Moreover, hydropower generation from dams has been significantly reduced due to sediment accumulation, while droughts linked to climate change have further crippled energy production.
Given the increasing difficulty in justifying the existence of many dams, there is a growing movement, often led by Indigenous peoples and marginalized communities, to remove them altogether. One notable example is the planned removal of four dams on the Klamath River along the Oregon-California border, which will be the largest dam removal effort in history.
Europe is also embracing dam removal and river restoration initiatives. The continent’s rivers are highly fragmented and have experienced a significant decline in freshwater biodiversity. The River Meuse restoration project in the Netherlands, which involves restoring floodplains to address flooding and drought, is expected to reduce extreme inundation from once in a century to once every 250 years.
The tragic dam disaster in Libya serves as a warning for aging dams worldwide. Removing these structures is our best course of action. It is imperative that we utilize this approach more frequently to mitigate the risks associated with aging and obsolete dams.
Josh Klemm and Isabella Winkler are co-directors of International Rivers, an organization dedicated to advocating for healthy rivers and the rights of river communities.
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