Kulekhani dam break study.

Introduction -- On dams and dam failures -- On the Kulekhani project -- Field excursion -- The possible dam break scenarios -- Conclusions

The danger of dam failure has in many cases increased due to changes in runoff as a result of deforestation in the catchment basin, a common feature today in both developed and developing countries. In other words, the peak flood from a catchment may be much higher than was calculated at the time of design and construction of water control structures. Many countries have experienced the consequences of this phenomenon in recent floods which have often shown the discharge capacity of dams to be insufficient, in several cases leading to disaster. Specific projects are needed to evaluate the possible consequences of environmental changes and to work out additional monitoring systems and safety precautions. This report reviews possible dambreak scenarios for a particular dam, Kulekhani located in Nepal, and provides details on calculating the impact of the failure on the population and infrastructure downstream of the dam