Bücher der Reihe ICOLD Bulletins Series

The work covers hydro-electricity production and hydropower dams and plants. Data are presented on typical capital and operating costs. Environmental and social impacts are discussed, as is the impact reservoirs have on greenhouse gas emissions. Hydropower development and the influence of renewable energy policies are also discussed.

Dams are part of human achievements that induce great benefits for society but also bear a potential risk to people, property and the natural environment. The risk of a dam rupture is extremely low and difficult to quantify accurately. The objective of dam surveillance is to make a precise and timely diagnosis of the behavior of dams, in order to prevent undesirable consequences. Both the monitoring system and surveillance program has to be designed and should be able to detect any abnormal behaviour. The aim of `Dam surveillance¿ (ICOLD Bulletin 158) is to help reduce these risks by early detection of an undesirable event.

This bulletin gives an overview of the main functional and operational aspects relating to cascade hydropower stations and reservoirs, it was formed by reviewing of all the related aspects proposed and case studies provided by committee members.

A framework for classifying different types of tailings, ranging from ultra-fine to coarse, based on their geotechnical properties and provides typical geotechnical parameters for the different tailings types. Technologies for dewatering tailings to reduce the risk of storage continue to be developed and the different technologies.