ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: Social progress and economic growth in the developed world was hastened by the construction and operation of large dams for power, water supply, irrigation and flood control. The rate of construction of new dams dramatically increased from 1000 per decade in the 1940s to a peak of about 5300 in the 1970s. In Europe and North America the average age of these dams is now about 35 years. There are about 45,000 large dams in over 140 countries worldwide. The rate of dam failures has improved over the past four decades due to improved science and technology, a better understanding of dam performance, and a focus on dam safety and is now apparently about 2 × 10−5 per annum.
