Laying the Foundations

Dam safety is central to public protection and economic security. Aging portfolios of large dams, increasing populations, and rapid urbanization require the development of legal and institutional frameworks for dam safety that can secure water supplies for hydropower generation, improve food security through irrigation, and enhance resilience to floods and droughts.This book provides a systematic review of the legal and institutional frameworks for dam safety in 51 countries with varying economic, political, and cultural circumstances. These case studies inform a range of legal, institutional, technical, and financial options for developing frameworks for sustainable dam safety assurance that apply to a variety of different portfolio and country-specific circumstances. The analysis employs a regulatory mix approach to develop a continuum of alternative dam safety assurance options contingent upon the country context and portfolio characteristics. It informs decision makers about the different options’ merits and identifies the necessary supporting capacity to assist them in systematically developing interventions to enhance dam safety. By identifying the essential elements and accounting for portfolio characteristics, this tool can help in enhancing regulatory regimes and identifying gaps in existing legal and institutional frameworks.