International Symposium on Dam Safety in Changsha (China)

Last 9-10th Nov, the International Symposium on Dam Safety, organized by the Chinese Committe on Large Dams, was held in Changsha, (China).

One of the invited speakers was Dr Enrique Cifres, who dealt with Dam Safety at basin scale.

Risk is a combination of hazards and potential damages. Dam safety should not be only managed at the dam itself for reducing hazards. Other issues as 

- Information / Mapping risk 

- Risk assessment
- Emergency action plans
- Land management 
- Insurance policies
- Economic losses mitigation
- Stakeholders involvement
- Improving resilience
- Transboundary coordination. etc..

must contribute to reduce potential damages. 

The speech dealt with those all things happening in the basin, specially in downstream areas, that can influence the risk balance.

Enrique's words were dedicated to Prof Zhang Guangdou, who passed away, being 100 years old, whose life was dedicated to people's welfare.