One dam shapes the fate of millions. Extreme rain puts it at risk

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illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Washington Post or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: An investigation shows how climate change is intensifying risks around India’s 130-year-old Mullaperiyar dam
• Extreme monsoon rains, amplified by global warming, are increasing fears that the aging structure could fail
• The dam supplies water to millions in Tamil Nadu while threatening downstream communities in Kerala

🔭 The context: The Mullaperiyar dam was built in the 1890s using outdated materials and engineering standards
• Climate-driven moisture surges have intensified rainfall in Kerala at twice the global average rate
• The dam sits at the center of a decades-long political and legal dispute between the two Indian states
• Globally, similar aging dams face growing stress as rainfall becomes more intense and unpredictable

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Climate change is pushing global infrastructure beyond its original design limits
• Stronger storms increase the risk of catastrophic dam failures, floods, ecosystem destruction, and mass displacement
• Aging water infrastructure highlights how climate impacts intersect with biodiversity loss, food security, and human safety
• Without adaptation and investment, climate-amplified disasters could multiply worldwide

⏭️ What’s next: India’s Supreme Court and federal authorities continue reviewing dam safety and storage limits
• Experts warn updated climate-informed risk assessments are urgently needed
• Without resolution, rising rainfall will keep escalating danger for millions living upstream and downstream

💬 One quote: “Would you live in a 130-year-old house if the status of the roof and the walls is questionable?”, asks Sekhar Kuriakose, chief climate resilience officer at Kerali

📈 One stat: India has seen three dam failures in seven years, all during extreme flooding events

See on illuminem's Data Hub™ the sustainability performance of infrastructure and water-risk exposure in climate-vulnerable regions

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