Imagine standing at the base of a towering dam, its concrete face weathered and cracked, holding back a restless river that churns with pent-up force. Now picture that dam sitting on a fault line, in a region prone to earthquakes and landslides. This isn’t a scene from a disaster movie—it’s the reality for thousands of aging dams across China, where a silent crisis is brewing. The numbers are staggering: nearly 95,000 dams dot the landscape, many built decades ago, and a worrying number are teetering on the edge of failure. What happens when these structures, meant to control floods and power cities, become ticking time bombs?
The Scale of China’s Dam Network
China’s dam-building spree is unmatched. Before 1949, the country had just 22 large dams. Today, it boasts nearly 95,000 of various sizes, according to recent statements from water resource officials. That’s almost half the world’s total, a feat that speaks to both ambition and engineering prowess. But here’s the catch: the number of dams has quietly dropped by over 3,600 since 2020. Where did they go? Were they dismantled due to safety concerns, or did floods claim them? The lack of clear answers raises red flags.
The majority of these dams—87.1 percent—were constructed before 1979, with nearly half predating 1969. That makes them over 50 years old, well past the typical lifespan of such structures without significant maintenance. Built during a time when engineering standards were less rigorous, many of these dams are now showing their age, and the consequences could be catastrophic.
Aging infrastructure is a global challenge, but China’s sheer volume of dams amplifies the stakes.
– Civil engineering expert
Why Are Dams Disappearing?
The drop in dam numbers from 98,566 in 2020 to 94,877 in 2025 is puzzling. Some speculate that authorities may have decommissioned unsafe structures, but there’s little public data to confirm this. Others wonder if natural disasters, like floods or earthquakes, quietly claimed these missing dams. In my view, the lack of transparency here is troubling—it’s hard to trust a system that doesn’t explain such a significant change. What’s clear is that China’s dams are under strain, and the reasons behind their decline deserve closer scrutiny.
- Aging infrastructure: Most dams were built decades ago with outdated techniques.
- Geological risks: Many are located in seismically active regions, increasing failure risks.
- Lack of maintenance: Over 31,000 dams haven’t had mandatory safety checks.
The Risks of Aging Infrastructure
China’s dams were built for flood control, irrigation, and power generation, but their age and design flaws often render them ineffective. A staggering 80 percent of these structures date back to the 1950s and 1970s, a period when construction prioritized speed over durability. Many rely on directional blasting, a cost-cutting technique that uses explosives to shape dams from loose rock and earth. While innovative at the time, this method has proven unreliable for long-term stability, especially in flood-prone or earthquake-heavy regions.
Take the Tibetan Plateau, for example. Home to 232 dams taller than 100 meters, including 23 “super-high” ones exceeding 200 meters, this region is a geological powder keg. Frequent earthquakes, landslides, and mudslides threaten these towering structures. A 2012 environmental report warned that dams in such areas could trigger “tsunami-like waves” if they collapse, wiping out entire communities downstream. It’s a chilling thought, and one that keeps engineers up at night.
Dams in unstable regions are like playing Russian roulette with nature.
– Environmental researcher
A History of Catastrophic Failures
China’s dams have a grim track record. Between 1954 and 2021, 3,558 dam failures were recorded—an average of 52 per year. That’s a failure rate five times higher than the global standard. The most infamous disaster struck in 1975, when Typhoon Nina triggered the collapse of over 50 dams in Henan Province. The result? Up to 230,000 lives lost in what remains the world’s worst dam-related catastrophe. The memory of that tragedy lingers, a stark reminder of what’s at stake.
More recent incidents tell a similar story. In 1993, the Gouhou Dam in Qinghai Province collapsed, claiming 320 lives. In 2010, a mudslide in Gansu Province, exacerbated by nearby dam construction, killed over 1,500 people. And in 2024, emergency water releases from the Huangjindong Dam in Hunan Province flooded Pingjiang county, affecting nearly 365,000 residents. No casualties were officially reported, but the lack of warning for those downstream raises serious questions about accountability.
Why Dams Fail to Control Floods
Dams are supposed to tame rivers, but in China, they often do the opposite. When floods hit, aging dams can’t handle the pressure, forcing operators to release water to prevent collapse. These emergency discharges, often unannounced, turn potential saviors into agents of destruction. The 2024 Pingjiang floods are a prime example: 190 dams released water into the Miluo River, overwhelming communities without warning. It’s a pattern that’s repeated too often, and it points to a deeper issue—dams are only as good as their maintenance and oversight.
| Dam Incident | Year | Location | Impact |
| Banqiao Failure | 1975 | Henan Province | 230,000 deaths |
| Gouhou Collapse | 1993 | Qinghai Province | 320 deaths |
| Zhouqu Mudslide | 2010 | Gansu Province | 1,557 deaths |
| Pingjiang Floods | 2024 | Hunan Province | 364,582 affected |
The Role of Geology and Construction
The Tibetan Plateau, where many of China’s tallest dams stand, is a geological minefield. With an average elevation of 14,800 feet, it’s prone to earthquakes, landslides, and other disasters. Building dams here is like stacking cards in a windstorm. Add to that the use of earth-and-rock dams—over 95 percent of China’s dams are made this way—and you’ve got a recipe for trouble. These structures lack the resilience of modern concrete dams, making them vulnerable to both natural and human-made stressors.
Construction practices haven’t helped. The directional blasting technique, while cost-effective, sacrifices quality for speed. By blasting mountains to form dams, builders skip critical steps like compacting materials, leading to weaker structures. A former water resources official admitted in 2017 that these dams have failed to deliver on flood prevention, a damning indictment of decades-old practices.
Public Pushback and Policy Shifts
Not everyone’s on board with China’s dam obsession. The Longpan Dam on the Jinsha River, once called the Tiger Leaping Gorge Dam, faced fierce opposition from locals and activists in 2004, halting its progress. Renamed and revived in the 2021–2025 national plan, it’s now moving forward, but resistance persists. This pushback highlights a growing awareness of the risks dams pose, especially in fragile ecosystems. Could this be a turning point for more sustainable infrastructure policies?
Communities deserve a say in projects that could destroy their homes.
– Environmental advocate
What Can Be Done?
Addressing China’s dam crisis requires bold action. First, rigorous safety assessments are non-negotiable—over 31,000 dams still haven’t been properly evaluated. Second, decommissioning high-risk structures, especially in seismic zones, could prevent disasters. Finally, transparency is key. The public deserves to know which dams are safe and which aren’t. Without these steps, the next failure could be just around the corner.
- Conduct mandatory safety inspections for all dams.
- Prioritize decommissioning of high-risk structures.
- Improve public communication about dam safety and flood risks.
A Global Lesson
China’s dam crisis isn’t just a national issue—it’s a wake-up call for the world. Aging infrastructure, lax oversight, and environmental risks aren’t unique to one country. As climate change intensifies floods and extreme weather, nations everywhere must rethink how they build and maintain critical structures. Perhaps the most sobering lesson is this: ambition without accountability can turn engineering marvels into deadly liabilities.
In my experience, infrastructure projects often reflect a society’s priorities. China’s dams were built to showcase progress, but their upkeep tells a different story—one of neglect and risk. As we look to the future, the question isn’t just how to fix these dams, but how to build a system that values safety over spectacle. The clock is ticking, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
China’s dams are a testament to human ingenuity, but also a reminder of our limits. With thousands of aging structures at risk, the time for action is now. Will the country rise to the challenge, or will the next disaster catch us off guard? Only time will tell, but one thing’s certain: ignoring the problem isn’t an option.
