Scientist warns of safety risks at reservoirs and dams in Vietnam

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The main characteristic of the river system is that most of the main streams have short or medium length, with steep slope of the current and narrow basins. This facilitates the construction of hydropower projects at different water levels, but the damages will be serious if natural calamities occur, according to Le Anh Tuan from the Can Tho University.

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At the time of design, the water and flood situation was different from now, as designers did not consider possible changes due to climate change. Therefore, scientists have urged to ensure the safe operation of reservoirs and lakes in the peak storm season.

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By contrast, at small hydropower works, mostly located in remote areas with poor transport infrastructure conditions, there are not enough experienced workers and information is lacking. The works of this kind are at high risk.

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The scientist emphasized the need for assessment and predictions about the risks for upcoming years. Local authorities need to build dam collapse scenarios to help them decide when and how to take action promptly in case of emergency.