Analysis and
Environment
Many dams in the US were designed decades ago using estimates of precipitation based on outdated science – and that makes them more vulnerable to warming-driven extreme weather
By James Dinneen
High water levels at the Rapidan Dam in Minnesota
Ben Brewer/Bloomberg/Getty Images
The near failure of a century-old dam in Minnesota has drawn renewed attention to the vulnerability of the US’s ageing water infrastructure. Thousands of dams are in poor condition, and many were designed based on estimates of extreme rain that may now be outdated as climate change drives stronger precipitation in some parts of the country.
“The state of the infrastructure is such that it’s not able to resist even minor events in many cases,” says Upmanu Lall at Arizona State University.
Of the country’s more…
Source : New Scientist