Introduction to status quo of small dam safety management

This paper present some considerations about the management of small dam safety,trying to differentiate the main characteristics between small and large dams.Small dam safety management comprises the politics,procedures and "in situ" supervision,in order to minimize the risk of dam failure.Careful Examination of Design Criteria,Material Parameters,Sources of Degradation of Small Dams,Inspection Checklist for Small Dams,Guidelines on Dam Monitoring and Small Embankment Dam Classification for Safety Purpose are the main topics presented.