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

Source: The post is based on the article “3,700 dams in India will lose 26% storage capacity due to sedimentation by 2050: UN study” published in Economic Times on 10th January 2023

What is the News?

According to a study by the United Nations, around 3,700 dams in India will lose 26% of their total storage by 2050.

This study was conducted by the United Nations University Institute on Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) also known as the UN’s think tank on water.

What are the key findings of the study?

Dams in India: Around 3,700 large dams in India will lose 26% of their total storage by 2050 due to the accumulation of sediments which can undermine water security, irrigation and power generation in future.

– Note: In 2015, the Central Water Commission reported that among 141 large reservoirs which are over 50 years old, one quarter had lost at least 30% of their initial storage capacity.  

Dams Globally: Trapped sediment has already robbed roughly 50,000 large dams worldwide of an estimated 13 to 19% of their combined original storage capacity.

– The study estimates that 6,316 billion cubic meters of initial global storage in 47,403 large dams in 150 countries will decline to 4,665 billion cubic metres causing 26% storage loss by 2050.

– This loss is roughly equal to the annual water use of India, China, Indonesia, France and Canada combined.

Dams in Asia Pacific region: In 2022, the Asia-Pacific region, the world’s most heavily dammed region, is estimated to have lost 13% of its initial dam storage capacity. It will have lost nearly a quarter (23%) of its initial storage capacity by 2050.   

– This region is home to 60% of the world’s population and water storage is crucial for sustaining water and food security.

Dams in China: China, the world’s most heavily dammed nation has lost about 10% of its storage and will lose a further 10% by 2050.