The International Commission on Large Dams, or ICOLD ( or ''CIGB''), is an international
non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...
dedicated to the sharing of professional information and knowledge of the design,
construction
Construction are processes involved in delivering buildings, infrastructure, industrial facilities, and associated activities through to the end of their life. It typically starts with planning, financing, and design that continues until the a ...
, maintenance, and impact of large
dams
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, ...
.
Overview
It was founded in 1928 and has its central office in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
,
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
.
ICOLD consists of 100 member national committees which have a total membership of about 10,000 individuals.
Official languages of the commission are
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Culture, language and peoples
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
* ''English'', an Amish ter ...
and
French
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band), ...
.
Definition
For the purpose of inclusion in the World Register of Dams, a large dam is defined as any dam above 15 metres in height (measured from the lowest point of foundation to top of dam) or any dam between 10 and 15 metres in height which meets at least one of the following conditions:
a) the crest length is not less than 500 metres;
b) the capacity of the reservoir formed by the dam is not less than one million cubic metres;
c) the maximum flood discharge dealt with by the dam is not less than 2 000 cubic metres per second;
d) the dam had specially difficult foundation problems;
e) the dam is of unusual design.
- ICOLD's definition of "large dam".
See also
*
United States Society on Dams is the member organization representing the
US in ICOLD.
*
British Dam Society is the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
national committee for ICOLD.
References
External links
Official WebsiteDams Paving
Dam-related organizations
Civil engineering organizations
International organizations based in France
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