Dam safety | j


comes risks and potential hazards to downstream communities. Dam safety is a shared responsibility, and we want those nearby to know their risk, know their role, and take action.”


Strengthen construction Metals company Boliden is investing in strengthening


Above: Excavating machinery at Boliden’s Aitik mine in northern Sweden. The company says safety is its top priority and is changing to new dam construction methods to ensure the long-term disposal of tailings. Credit: olaf littorin / Shutterstock.com


current dam construction to meet the international industry standards, and eventually change to a new dam construction method to ensure long-term disposal of tailings in Aitik copper mine in Sweden. “A high level of dam safety is always our top priority,” commented Mikael Staffas, President and CEO of Boliden. “The new direction naturally entails challenges in the short term, but it also creates long-term opportunities in Aitik and a clear direction for how the business can be developed going forward.” Ongoing geotechnical investigations highlighted the need for the change in dam construction methods. Normally, the dam structures at Aitik’s tailings pond are built and filled in line with production, but surveys for future dam heightening identified areas with poorer soil conditions than previously estimated, which means that additional dam heightening and deposition of tailings against dams in these areas has been suspended. In a first step, existing dam structures will now be


References


www.fema.gov/sites/ default/files/documents/ fema_michigan-dam-incident- response-review_report.pdf


www.nab.usace.army.mil/ Missions/Dams-Recreation/ Jennings-Randolph-Lake/ Jennings-Randolph-Lake- Dam-Risk-Communication


World Bank, 2022. Strengthening Hydromet and Early Warning Systems and Services in Tunisia - A roadmap. Washington, DC: World Bank www.gfdrr.org/en/ publication/tunisia-hydromet


strengthened and certain infrastructure will need to be moved. This is estimated to take about two years, after which dam heightening and deposition in this area can be resumed. Production in Aitik is not expected to be affected during this time as tailings can continue to be deposited in other parts of the tailings pond. The measures depend on environmental permits and other approvals, but work can be started prior to the permitting process.


Ukraine dam safety The International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD)


has voiced its concerns about dam safety in Ukraine, following the military conflict with Russia and its impacts on dams located in the country. ICOLD President Michael Rogers said that ICOLD


expresses its deepest concern for the people of Ukraine, especially concerning the safety of dams and levees there.


“ICOLD is an apolitical organisation dedicated to the peaceful technical collaboration of experts for the safety of dams and levees in all countries,” Rogers stated. “It is with heavy hearts that we watch the humanitarian crisis and destruction of property and infrastructure in Ukraine. We are concerned for the dams and levees in Ukraine that provide critical infrastructure for water, power, and flood control for all its citizens, especially the 23 large dams identified in the ICOLD Register.” ICOLD said it brings together experts from 104 countries in peaceful collaboration for the safety of all dams and levees and that it stands in strong support of the National Hydropower Association of Ukraine for the safety of its dams and hydropower stations. “The ICOLD family has many colleagues in Russia and Ukraine who have peacefully worked side-by-side with other global experts for many decades. It is heart- breaking to see such a conflict,” Rogers said. “ICOLD supports all our colleagues in the engineering and scientific community. As we have always done through great crises faced during our 94 years of existence, ICOLD will continue to serve the cause of peaceful dialogue between engineers and scientists in the service of critical infrastructures. “At an appropriate time, ICOLD stands ready to


provide technical support to Ukraine for the assessment and reconstruction for critical water and power infrastructure. Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go to the millions of people in Ukraine directly impacted by this tragedy as we hope for the safety of its dams.”


Strengthening Tunisia The World Bank has launched a new report with


the Government of Tunisia, and the Global Fund for Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery, to examine ways of improving the capabilities of Tunisia’s National Meteorological and Hydrological Services. Tunisia is highly prone to climate-related disasters, such as floods, droughts, extreme temperatures, and sea level rise. The latest World Bank’s disaster risk profile of the country estimates that floods alone cause an average annual loss of US$40 million. Underlying factors, including climate change, population growth, land use changes, and urbanisation, increase the severity and frequency of these events. The report, Strengthening Hydromet and Early


Dam Incident Response Review


According to the US Federal Emergency Management Agency, the benefits of conducting a Dam Incident Response Review include: 1. Support for community efforts to build back better and stronger after a dam- related incident.


2. Gain insights to improve FEMA’s prevention, mitigation, response, and recovery policies, procedures, guidance, operations, best practices, and grants related to dams and dam safety.


3. Gather and assess real-world data to enhance modelling, dam criteria, standards or other resources.


4. Better understanding of impacts to the built environment with implications for effective mitigation.


5. Document of best practices and lessons learned as technical assistance for other dams.


6. Coordinate and collaborate with partners from federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial government, along with private sector, research organisations, non- profits, industry, academia, and others.


Warning Systems and Services in Tunisia – A Roadmap, proposes three successive development phases designed to transform meteorological and hydrological service providers in Tunisia into technically sound and modern entities that can meet their public service mandates. It shows that the benefits of weather, climate, and hydrological services outweigh the capital and operational costs of providing them. Information from the report was used in the


preparation of Pillar 2 (Disaster Preparedness) of the Tunisia Integrated Disaster Resilience Programme that addresses hydromet services and the Early Warning Systems used to alert populations to impending natural disaster. The Disaster Preparedness component is designed to bolster community resilience to climate extremes, largely by improving the capacities of Tunisia’s National Meteorological and Hydrological Services and its Dams and Hydraulic Works Department. Their systems will be revamped so they can deliver more accurate, reliable, and timely weather forecasts and other related services. ●


26 | August 2022 | www.waterpowermagazine.com


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