The International Conference on Dam Safety (ICDS 2026) opened at the J.N. Tata Auditorium, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, on 13 February under the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) Phase II and Phase III. The event is organised by the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD&GR), Ministry of Jal Shakti, with the Water Resources Department, Government of Karnataka, and collaborators including the Central Water Commission (CWC) and the World Bank. The two-day conference addresses risks to ageing water infrastructure.

The conference was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Karnataka and presided over by the Deputy Chief Minister. Senior national and international officials and experts attended the inaugural session. The Chief Minister emphasised that dam safety is a national security imperative requiring science-based collaborative action and collective responsibility, and the Deputy Chief Minister called for bold reforms and transparent policies to protect farmers, energy supplies and public investments.

A suite of digital and technical resources was launched, including DAMCHAT, an AI-powered platform developed by the International Centre of Excellence for Dams (ICED), IIT Roorkee, and the Jal Shakti Data Management platform of the National Water Informatics Centre (NWIC). Publications from the Advanced Centre for Integrated Water Resources Management (ACIWRM), Karnataka, and design flood estimation guidelines published by the CWC were released. Organisers said these tools will strengthen data-driven decision making for dam safety.

Deliberations covered regulatory frameworks, innovations in structural health assessment, sediment management, risk-informed decision making and coordinated reservoir operations for flood control. More than 750 delegates and representatives from 12 countries attended the first day, while an exhibition of 25 exhibitors showcased monitoring systems, rehabilitation materials and digital solutions. The Minister of State highlighted the urgent need for rehabilitation and modernisation of more than 6,500 specified dams and urged timely implementation of the Dam Safety Act, 2021 by states and dam-owning agencies. Organisers said the conference is expected to support implementation of the Act and enhance India's leadership in dam safety governance and climate resilience.