The challenges of the Brazilian electric energy regulatory agency on mitigate effects from 2024 Rio Grande do Sul floods


As the authors make clear, the assertion that a decadal or higher value has been measured in a given watercourse should be viewed with caution. On the contrary, this could be an indication of an underestimation of the design flow, resulting from a probability distribution that does not represent the river, or from a short series that is insufficient to safely extrapolate the calculation to this magnitude.


8.2. Carrying out Special Safety Inspections (SSIs) According to REN 1.064/2023, the Special Safety Inspection (SSI) aims to maintain or restore the dam’s safety level to the normal category and should be carried out by a multidisciplinary team of specialists, as a substitute for the Regular Safety Inspection, whenever there is a critical change in the dam’s safety level, or it shows signs of significant degradation, or is subject to extreme stress, such as seismic tremor, overtopping, flooding or hydraulic operation of overflows under exceptional conditions. Considering this determination and understanding that adaptation works will be necessary, both in


terms of enlarging the overflows and raising the dams, in addition to diagnosing the general state of safety of their dams, the owners were advised during the process to review the hydrological information in their respective river basin and the design criteria for their dam structures, in order to adapt them to the occurrence of more intense rains and floods. Also, according to REN 1.064/2023, the extent and detail of these studies is proportional to the


complexity of the dam and its area of influence, and must be sufficient to guarantee adequate safety conditions for structures and people. Thus, it is likely that a differentiated approach will be observed for small dams compared to large ones: the former were designed with more limited safety criteria and are impacted differently.


8.3. Strengthening regulation Strengthening legislation and creating new regulatory instruments are important steps to ensure that dams operate within the expected and required standards. It is therefore essential to constantly review and update safety regulations, ensuring that they are effective and reflect the best technical and regulatory practices. Regulation must be dynamic, adapting to changes in the sector and new technologies. As an opportunity, lessons from international experiences, including disasters, can be adapted to the Brazilian context. More intelligent and effective operating solutions will also be needed, such as improved hydro-meteorological monitoring and forecasting and a review of reservoir operating rules.


8.4. Investment in technology The geotechnical, environmental and hydraulic risks to which a dam is exposed mean that the storage structures, reservoirs, foundations and dam shoulders must be monitored and controlled, just like the water stored or flowing. In this reality, the use and development of intelligent monitoring tools such as sensors, embedded systems and drones has proved to be an effective strategy. These resources enable real-time analysis of structural conditions, facilitating early identification of problems. Applications can go beyond monitoring. Artificial Intelligence resources can be incorporated into methods for assessing and validating the Potential Damage of projects. The regulator should encourage the adoption of these technologies by


Vol XXXIII Issue 3 | Dam Engineering | 175


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