President International Commission on Large Dams addresses Inaugural Session of the International Symposium on Dams in Mexico
President International Commission on Large Dams addresses Inaugural Session of the International Symposium on Dams in Mexico
Guadalajara, Mexico, May 25, 2026 – Devendra Kumar Sharma, President of the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD), addressed inaugural function of the International Symposium on ‘Water, Energy, and Society: The Evolving Role of Dams in a Changing World’ during being held during the 94th Annual General Body Meeting held in Guadalajara, Mexico alongwith his Excellency Pablo Lemus Navarro, Governor of Jalisco, Mexico. Mr Sharma is a Member of the National Security Advisory Board, Govt of India and former Chairman of Himachal Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission. This Symposium is being attended by 1000 professionals from 70 countries.
The International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) has been established in 1928 with its head office in Paris, France. India became member this Commission in the year 1930. At present, ICOLD has 101 countries including India as its members. Mr Sharma mentioned that ICOLD since its formation in 1928 has been a global family of experts dedicated to the public good.
During his inaugural address Mr Sharma stated that the global dam community is facing unprecedented challenges from the accelerated impacts of climate change. He mentioned that in view of the climate change, role of the ICOLD mission has never been more vital than now.
ICOLD is the steward of water, the world’s most precious resource that sustains human life. It is tasked with the safety, rehabilitation, and modernization of the dams for water storage and management. In view of uncertainties brought by climate change, the role of dam engineering professionals is more critical than ever. He stated that let us rise to the occasion, embrace these challenges, not as obstacles, but as a mandate to innovate with conviction. Together, professionals working for dams have to engineer a sustainable future.
Mr Sharma in his address mentioned that the goal of ICOLD is to champion best practices in rehabilitation, maintenance, environmental stewardship, and structural integrity for the 64,417+ large dams in the world. He stressed the need to ensure that these vital structures remain efficient, safe, and integrated with the environment.
Mr Sharma further stated that the significant challenge currently facing ICOLD is the limited participation from the developing countries. To address this and to encourage broader engagement, he said that a Committee with international experts has been constituted to recommend strategic solutions.
He mentioned that ICOLD publications at present are highly priced. It is difficult for the engineers from the developing countries to buy these publications in foreign currency. For the benefit of professionals from these countries, starting from 1st September, 2026, engineers from throughout the world, who are members of the ICOLD, can access this literature free of cost. As closing remark he mentioned that this decision of free access to ICOLD literature will go a long way to ensure safety of our dams which are vital for providing water, food and energy security throughout the world.
