| Contents regulars Cover Story


Beniarrs reservoir dam during drought in Spain. Recent webinar discusses how resilience can be built into dams. Image: Didaccc/Shutterstock.com


5 World News


NEOM scraps Trojena dam contract in broader project overhaul; India clears $310m small hydro scheme targeting 1.5GW by 2031


features 10 14 22 26


10 Spotlight Though accepted in theory, digital


hydropower adoption remains uneven. Uwe Wehnhardt explains barriers and how utilities can progress smoothly


Classified


40 42


Contacts


30


Europe 14


Refurbishment


Mitigating flood risk An insight into the strategic role of dams in managing flooding across Europe from ICOLD’s European Club and its Young Professional Forum


18 32


A common purpose The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and the Spanish Council of Civil Engineers recently discussed how resilience can be built into dams, reservoirs and the wider water system


22


European perspectives Unutilised potential, and the important role refurbishment continues to play in European hydropower


22 36


Reservoir remediation Some of the unique challenges faced by reservoir owners when meeting dam safety requirements were recently addressed when focusing on the Llyn Fuches Las reservoir remediation project in Wales


26 Hydropower renewals Refurbishment projects are accelerating worldwide as utilities and technology providers modernise ageing hydropower assets to boost efficiency, extend operational life and meet evolving environmental and grid demands


29 Hydropower


performance gains How advanced polymeric coatings and composites are enabling hydropower operators to recover efficiency losses, extend asset life and unlock additional output


Wave & tidal 30


Association spotlight 32


Unlocking UK hydropower


Will Gallimore of the BHA examines how hydropower is evolving into a critical pillar of the UK’s low-carbon future


Instrumentation & monitoring 34


GIS for tailings How ArcGIS is enabling a more integrated, spatially informed approach to tailings dam management


36


Rethinking dam monitoring


Global test networks International collaboration among marine energy test centres is shaping how ocean energy technologies are developed, regulated, and deployed, new report suggests


Why risk-based thinking, evolving technology and practical experience are reshaping dam instrumentation and long-term safety


18


Sounding the alarm Acoustic warning systems are becoming a standard part of dam safety


Next issue Young professionals in dams and hydropower; research and development into hydraulic machinery; small hydro growth opportunities; condition monitoring @waterpowermag


©Business Trade Media International ISSN 0306-400X


www.waterpowermagazine.com | May 2026 | 3


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