New Delhi, March 25 -- A study published in Nature Water estimated that 23 large 'dam failures' could occur worldwide by 2035. With 4.4 per cent of large dams facing a failure probability above 1/10,000, prioritising investment in dam safety was never more important, the research highlighted.

Dams are essential for water management, energy production and flood protection, but their failures have catastrophic consequences. The study, by researchers from Deltares, IHE Delft and Imperial College London, presented a detailed global analysis of dam failure probability from 1900 until present. Historical large-dam failure reports and latest dam inventories were analysed to conduct a statistical, multi-parameter survival analysis.

The research...