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Mahesh

11/01/23 21:35 PM IST

3,700 dams in India will lose 26% storage capacity by 2050: UN study

In News
  • Around 3,700 dams in India will lose 26 per cent of their total storage by 2050 due to accumulation of sediments which can undermine water security, irrigation and power generation in future, warns a new study by the United Nations. 
Major Findings
  • The study by the United Nations University Institute on Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), also known as the UN's think tank on water, shows that 6,316 billion cubic metre of initial global storage in 47,403 large dams in 150 countries will decline to 4,665 billion cubic metre, causing 26 per cent storage loss by 2050.
  • The loss of 1,650 billion cubic metre storage capacity is roughly equal to the annual water use of India, China, Indonesia, France and Canada combined.
  • In 2022, the Asia-Pacific region, the world's most heavily dammed region, is estimated to have lost 13 per cent of its initial dam storage capacity.
  • It will have lost nearly a quarter (23 per cent) of initial storage capacity by mid-century.
  • The region is home to 60 per cent of the world's population and water storage is crucial for sustaining water and food security.
  • UNU-INWEH estimates that India's 3,700 large dams will have lost on average 26 per cent of their initial total storage by 2050.
  • China, meanwhile, the world's most heavily dammed nation, has lost about 10 per cent of its storage and will lose a further 10 per cent by 2050.
  • Water storage infrastructure is critical for development. Large dams and reservoirs provide hydroelectricity, flood control, irrigation, and drinking water and often perform multiple functions simultaneously. 
  • UNU-INWEH estimates that India's 3,700 large dams will have lost on average 26 per cent of their initial total storage by 2050.
  • China, meanwhile, the world's most heavily dammed nation, has lost about 10 per cent of its storage and will lose a further 10 per cent by 2050
  • Accumulation of sediments decreases a reservoir's capacity over the years and determines a reservoir's life expectancy. 
  • A dam is considered large if it is higher than 15 m or between 5 and 15 m high, but impounds over 3 million cubic metres. 
Source- Economic Times

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