Dam Safety to be Monitored From Space

Ultimately the technology could be employed worldwide to reduce the risks to those living downstream of dams, said HR Wallingford.

A pilot project in Peru had monitored tailings dams used to store toxic mine waste but the UK Space Agency has now broadened the funding to include water dams in a bid to reduce the risk of failures.

Over the next two years, HR Wallingford will use the software to monitor movement at several water dams in the Cerro de Pasco region of Peru.

The system uses Earth Observation (EO) techniques – including the analysis of spectral responses and iron traces from satellite images as well as data from navigation systems – combined with real-time in-situ devices.Damsat could help to prevent the devastation caused by a dam breach by alerting authorities of problems with structures before they are at risk of failing, HR Wallingford says.