Author: Mark Hubbard
The dams were built in the 1970s and according to reports had not been maintained since 20021. The dangers flooding posed to the dams, which are meant to protect 90,000 people, were well known. In an academic paper last year, civil engineering professor Abdelwanees Ashoor wrote: "In the event of a big flood, the consequences will be disastrous for the residents of the valley and the city."2
Now experts are calling for immediate action to address poorly maintained dams worldwide, which are under increased pressure due to extreme weather.
Most of the world’s major dams were built between 1950 and 19853 and like any human-made structure, they have a limited shelf life, which experts estimate is around 50 years. A 2021 UN study of 50,000 large dams found that many were older than 50 years and at increased risk of failure4. In India and China, 28,000 large dams are approaching their end of life. In India, the Mullaperiyar Dam in Kerala is more than 100 years old and in an area prone to earthquakes, and 3.5 million people are at risk if it collapses5. In the UK, most dams are over 100 years old: in 2020, the average age of a UK large dam was 106 years old.
In the US, more than 2,200 dams need maintenance and repair. The number of severe convective storms has increased since the last study three years ago, placing the dams under greater pressure. The Association of State Dam Safety Officials estimates that USD 76 billion is needed to address dam-related issues, while the Infrastructure Bill has only allocated USD 3 billion to such projects6.
Ageing dams bring to light a broader issue of infrastructure and extreme weather. Insurance casualties are often associated with homeowners who cannot secure insurance in areas prone to natural catastrophes. However, cases like this one demonstrate that severe weather is affecting every aspect of insurance. If obtaining insurance for older infrastructure in vulnerable regions becomes more difficult, maintenance and repair will become less likely and the risk of failure will increase. As we have seen in Libya, the people who suffer the consequences remain the same.
To learn how Nat Cat events in different parts of the world are shaping the future of insurance, read the seven-part report, How Is the Increasing Risk of Extreme Weather Changing Insurance?
