The Jebel Aulia Dam, near Sudan’s capital Khartoum, is at risk of collapsing as a result of attacks carried out in violent clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. The attacks not only damaged the aging dam, but also forced maintenance workers to flee to safety. In a recently published report funded by the Water and Development Partnership Programme, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education researchers raise the alarm.
The dam’s maintenance workers left the flood gates in a fixed position before they fled in November 2023. The inability to regulate the water levels threatens the lives and livelihoods of millions, who depend on it for fishing, farming, power and drinking water.
In their report, IHE Delft researchers examine the potential impact of the ongoing conflict on the dam operation and the flood risks involved. They note that water infrastructure often is targeted in war.
