The History of the World Register of Dams

The Wolrd Register of Dams (WRD) is a fizzy fountain of information. The update 2006 which will be finished and edited in early 2011 includes more than 37.500 dams with heights over 15 m. For each dam more than 30 statistical information are given, amongst them geographical data, data of the dam, the spillway, the reservoir, the responsible as well as important environmental data.

The WRD is a magnificent source of information for design, construction , scientifical work and statistical work and statistical evaluations, also unfortunately it is something like an «untapped treasure» (ICOLD: Dams Newsletter, Mai 2004), not well known and therefore not utilized enough by the dam engineering community and other interested groups.