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| Committee on Large Dams | |
|---|---|
| Name | Committee on Large Dams |
| Formation | 1928 |
| Headquarters | Paris |
| Parent organization | International Commission on Large Dams |
| Type | Technical committee |
| Purpose | Dam engineering standards, safety, research |
| Region served | International |
Committee on Large Dams is a technical committee affiliated with the International Commission on Large Dams that focuses on the design, construction, operation, and safety of large dams. The committee interacts with organizations such as the World Bank, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, International Hydropower Association, International Energy Agency, and World Wide Fund for Nature to coordinate standards, research, and policy advice. It convenes experts from institutions including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, École des Ponts ParisTech, University of California, Berkeley, Indian Institute of Technology, and Tsinghua University to address engineering, environmental, and social issues related to dam projects.
The committee was established in response to growing international interest following events like the Hoover Dam construction era, the aftermath of the Banqiao Dam failure, and lessons drawn from the South–North Water Transfer Project debates; early participants included delegates from United States Bureau of Reclamation, Électricité de France, Bureau of Indian Standards, Central Water Commission (India), and Soviet Ministry of Water Resources. During the Cold War period interactions with agencies such as the United States Army Corps of Engineers, United Nations Development Programme, Asian Development Bank, and Inter-American Development Bank expanded the committee’s remit to include transboundary water issues highlighted by incidents like the St. Francis Dam collapse and disputes involving the Indus Waters Treaty. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries the committee engaged with climate and sustainability initiatives associated with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Convention on Biological Diversity, Ramsar Convention, and high-profile projects such as the Three Gorges Dam and Guri Dam modernization programs.
The committee’s mission aligns with mandates promoted by International Commission on Large Dams and partners like World Commission on Dams to improve dam safety, risk assessment, and stakeholder consultation across projects including Itaipu Dam, Aswan High Dam, Cataratas del Iguazú basin developments, and river basin plans influenced by Mekong River Commission. Objectives include developing technical guidance used by agencies such as the European Commission, Food and Agriculture Organization, International Labour Organization, and national regulators like Environment Agency (England and Wales), Ministry of Water Resources (China), and Department of Water Resources (California) to address seismic resilience in regions like Japan, Chile, and Turkey.
Membership draws from professional societies such as the Institution of Civil Engineers, American Society of Civil Engineers, Japan Society of Civil Engineers, Engineers Australia, and national committees including Central Water Commission (India), Brazilian Committee on Dams, and Russian Academy of Sciences. The organizational structure includes working groups, steering committees, and technical panels modeled after arrangements in International Electrotechnical Commission, International Organization for Standardization, and American National Standards Institute, with liaison roles for World Bank, Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank, and European Investment Bank.
The committee issues technical standards and guidelines referenced by standards bodies such as ISO, IEC, EN (European standard), and national codes like BS 6118, AASHTO, and Indian Standard IS 6512; guidance covers topics in hydraulic modeling used in Delft University of Technology research, geotechnical assessment practiced at Colorado School of Mines, and structural analysis methodologies influenced by Eurocode. Documents address emergency action planning as advocated by Federal Emergency Management Agency, sediment management strategies discussed in studies from International Rivers, and ecological flow regimes promoted by World Wildlife Fund and The Nature Conservancy.
The committee sponsors peer-reviewed research circulated through outlets such as Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, Water Resources Research, ASCE Library, and conference proceedings at events like the World Water Forum, International Conference on Large Dams, HydroVision International, and symposia hosted by ParisTech. Collaborative projects have been funded by organizations including National Science Foundation (US), European Research Council, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and have produced technical reports cited in case studies of Three Gorges Dam, Kariba Dam, and Bakun Dam.
Through formal interactions with multilateral institutions such as the United Nations, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, African Union, and European Union the committee informs policy instruments like lending safeguards, environmental impact assessment practice, and transboundary water agreements exemplified by the Indus Waters Treaty and Helsinki Rules. Collaborative networks include ties to International Hydrological Programme, Global Water Partnership, International Union for Conservation of Nature, and regional bodies such as the Mekong River Commission and Nile Basin Initiative.
Critiques have emerged in relation to projects where the committee provided technical advice, echoing controversies around Three Gorges Dam, Guri Dam, and Bakun Dam concerning displacement, sedimentation, and seismic risk; stakeholders including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Greenpeace, and International Rivers have challenged resettlement approaches and environmental assessments. Debates have also involved academic critics from University of Cambridge, Columbia University, and University of Oxford who question risk modeling assumptions and the committee’s influence on financing decisions by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank.
Category:Hydrology Category:Engineering organizations