Brazil: Report Finds 241 Dams Under Safety Risks

Flooding in Brazil. Photo Credit: Antonio Cruz, Agencia Brasil

 July 3, 2025  

By ABr

By Pedro Rafael Vilela

Brazil’s water and sanitation authority ANA launched the 2024–25 issue of its dam safety report on Tuesday (Jul. 1).

The document maps 241 dams with priority risk management, as those responsible for these projects have reportedly not complied with all the safety requirements listed in the national dam safety policy.

“In the event of an accident involving these structures, there is a risk to people or important equipment that could compromise the supply of essential services. These are dams located in 24 Brazilian states,” the agency stated.

Most of the dams under risk (96) belong to private companies, government entrepreneurs (39), and mixed-capital companies (10). Another 94 show no information on who is responsible. The main purposes of these facilities are flow regulation (23.7%), disposal of mining tailings (21.2%), irrigation (16.6%), human water supply (12.9%), and aquaculture (7.1%).

Altogether, some 28 thousand dams are registered with the Brazilian dam safety system, 97 percent of which are used for water storage and 36 percent for irrigation. This represents a surge of 8.2 percent in the total number of dams registered in one year. Of those registered, 6,202 (22%) fall within the scope of the dam safety policy.

Dams under the dam safety policy feature at least one of the following: a total capacity greater than 3 million cubic meters; a reservoir that contains hazardous waste, or medium to high associated potential damage (involving risks of human loss); and a dam massif (wall) higher than 15 meters.

Accidents and incidents

According to the report, 24 accidents and 45 incidents involving dams were reported in Brazil last year, with two fatalities and various types of damage, including the destruction of public roads, the collapse of bridges, damage to homes, the disappearance of animals, the closure of roads and highways, and environmental damage.

Under the safety policy, accidents must include the impairment of a dam’s structural integrity resulting in total or partial collapse. Incidents, in turn, affect the performance of the dam or attached structures, and can lead to accidents if they are not remedied.

Among the top causes of damage in the 24 accidents, the majority (16) are linked to flooding or rainfall events. There were 21 dam collapses last year, and for more than half of these (13) extreme weather events were reported.

Rio Grande do Sul—the Brazilian state that experienced the worst climate tragedy in its history with the floods of 2024—was the scene of at least 21 incidents and three accidents involving dams.

Inspections

In 2024, inspection bodies carried out 2,859 field visits—down seven percent from the 2023 report. Documentary inspections, in turn, reached 3,162.

Among the reasons mentioned is a shortage of inspection workers. The 33 federal, state, and municipal inspection bodies have a total 356 professionals, of whom 169 (48%) are exclusively dedicated to dam safety, and another 180 (52%) workers combine this work with other activities.

“In 28 of the 33 inspection bodies (85%), work on dam safety is carried out with less than the recommended number of staff,” the report reads.

Not enough budget

The study also points out there is no specific item in the federal or state budgets for dam safety. Safety measures are found under water infrastructure. In 2024, the budget amounts paid out for dam safety added up to approximately BRL 272 million, 28 percent of which from the federal government and 72 percent from the state government—values higher than in 2023. However, the amount actually paid in the past came to BRL 141 million, only 52 percent of what had been planned, 48 percent of which was executed by the federal government and 52 percent by the states.

ABr

Agência Brasil (ABr) is the national public news agency, run by the Brazilian government. It is a part of the public media corporation Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC), created in 2007 to unite two government media enterprises Radiobrás and TVE (Televisão Educativa).