Large Dams for Africa

Africa is now the new land of opportunity for dams’ development. After the very successful ICOLD Annual Meeting in Johannesburg (South Africa), last June, ICOLD prepares Africa 2017, next March in Marrakech (Morocco).

Africa is now the new land of opportunity for dams’ development and there are many signs for that, including inside ICOLD. First, ICOLD has elected an African President, Mr Adama Nombre, from Burkina Faso. He was president from 2012 to 2015. Second, ICOLD is developing with many new African countries joining ICOLD family, most recently Guinea Bissau. It has already co-organized with Aqua Media International the conference Africa 2013 in Addis-Ababa and it will co-organize another one: Africa 2017 in Marrakech.

With climate change, flood protection provided by dams will be ever more important.

Prague (July 5 2017)

Climate change is impacting the variability of water resources with more severe and frequent droughts and/or more flood. To lessen the consequences of those events, Dams and Reservoirs are the most efficient solution. That is adaptation. For example, Dams are an essential tool for protecting the populations against the disastrous floods, like those affecting the Czech Republic in 2002 and 2013 with terrible consequences.

Climate change also makes urgent the need to develop clean (carbon-free) energies to meet growing needs for power. Fortunately, solar and wind energies are becoming competitive and will be largely developed, provided there is enough energy storage to compensate for their intermittence. The only solution available today for massive storage at a reasonable price is to use reservoirs associated with pumped power stations. Hydropower is also a clean energy in itself. That is mitigation.

The services provided by dams (irrigation, hydropower production, water storage, flood protection, leisure…) are equally important for developed and developing countries. In Prague General Assembly, ICOLD will welcome three new countries in its family: Angola, Afghanistan and Bhutan. Thus reaching the mark of 100 country members.

ICOLD is working hard to disseminate knowledge through the work of its technical committees, the Science Congresses and Symposiums it organizes. Exemplary of this is the Symposium organized by the Czech National Committee on Large Dams today, on “knowledge-base dam engineering”.

You will find photos of the 85 Annual Meeting on Social Medias:

https://www.facebook.com/icoldcigb

https://www.instagram.com/icoldcigb/

Tags : Presse - Press