Dam safety practices in Canada in the perspective of evolving global practices

The practice of dam safety, dam safety guidelines and regulations is a global initiative that is evolving to reduce the risks that dams present to the public and the environment to ‘as low as reasonably practicable’ (ALARP). To meet this objective, some form of dam safety management system is used by jurisdictions around the world to provide guidance to dam owners in the development of site-specific Dam Safety Management plans (DSMPs). This paper compares and contrasts the practice of dam safety and dam safety management in jurisdictions internationally and across Canada.